MYERS MA-26X User manual

21 Washington Avenue
Scarborough, ME
888.293.2121
[e-mail]
www.myerstest.com
Aqua-Check Moisture Tester
MA-26X Manual

21 Washington Avenue
Scarborough, ME
21 Washington Avenue
Scarborough, ME
888.293.2121
[e-mail]
www.myerstest.com
888.293.2121
[e-mail]
www.myerstest.com
Safety Instrucons
Review and understand all of the operang and safety instrucons before using this unit.
WARNING!!
The calcium carbide reagent used with this test must be handled with great care. When exposed to
water, calcium carbide produces highly ammable or explosive acetylene gas.
• Users must understand and follow local regulaons and calcium carbide Material Safety Data Sheet guidelines and
procedures regarding transportaon, storage, handling and disposal.
• Tesng must not be performed in conned spaces or in the vicinity of an open ame, lighted cigarees, embers or
any potenal source of ignion.
• When releasing the gas from the apparatus, make sure to direct it away from your face and body.
• DO NOT store, dispose of, or place the calcium carbide reagent where it may come into contact with water, because
it can produce explosive acetylene gas.
• Any applicaon not specically covered in this manual will be considered improper use and will void the warranty.
• Tesng excessively wet material, adding water to the tesng chamber, or improper use of the equipment could
cause pressures to exceed the safe level for the apparatus.
• Long sleeves, gloves and eye protecons should be worn at all mes when performing the test.
Unpacking & Set-Up
NOTE: Each Aqua-Check is carefully inspected prior to packaging and shipment. Immediately unpack and
inspect the apparatus for signs of damage once received. If any damage has occurred, report it immediately
to the shipping company.
The MA-26 Aqua-Check consists of:
• Cast aluminum Sample Chamber Vessel with integral
• 0-21% Pressure Gauge
• 200 x 0.1g Electronic Balance for weighing of test specimens
• (2) 1.25in (32mm) Steel Pulverizing Balls
• Long-handled Reagent Scoop
• Large, coarse clean-out Brush
• Small, ne-bristle brush
• Sample cup
• Heavy-duty plasc case
Introducon
The Aqua-Check Moisture Tester is designed to measure the water content of soils, aggregates, and other
non-reacve materials. The Aqua-Check consists of an aluminum sample chamber vessel with integral pressure
gauge, electronic balance for sample weighing, two steel pulverizing balls, and assorted brushes and containers
as required for proper compleon of the test.
Pulverized calcium carbide is used as a reagent, and reacts when combined with water in the sample material to
form acetylene gas. The most accurate results are obtained when pressure gauge readings are correlated with
data from over-dry methods.
1.25in Steel Balls
Long-handled Reagent Scoop
Aqua-Check Pressure Gauge

21 Washington Avenue
Scarborough, ME
21 Washington Avenue
Scarborough, ME
888.293.2121
[e-mail]
www.myerstest.com
888.293.2121
[e-mail]
www.myerstest.com
Operang Instrucons
NOTE: By following these steps closely and consistently will increase the accuracy and repeatability of
your test results.
STEP 1: Use the dry, coarse-bristle brush to clean all residue from the Aqua-Check vessel and chamber cap.
STEP 2: Select a sample of the test material. Materials that do not readily separate into individual parcles,
such as clay or silt soils, need to be reduced by hand into small clumps.
STEP 3: Set-up and zero the electronic balance. Place the plasc sample cup on the balance and zero again.
Add small amount of sample material to the cup unl the balance shows the required 20g.
NOTE: If the moisture content of the material is expected to exceed 20% a 10g sample should be used, but
the value read on the gauge must then be doubled.
STEP 4: Place the prepared and weighed sample into the Aqua-Check vessel. For cohesive samples also
place the two steel pulverizing balls into the vessel.
STEP 5: Using the long-handled reagent scoop, add at least two full scoops of calcium carbide reagent to
the chamber cap.
STEP 6: Hold the Aqua-Check vessel horizontally, place the chamber cap on the end of the chamber. Posi-
on the black cap dot on the cap so it is facing away from your body when the pressure is released. Move
the srrup into place over the cap and ghten the top screw to the seal chamber. DO NOT mix the reagent
and sample before the chamber has been sealed.
STEP 7:
• Without Pulverizing Balls: Hold the Aqua-Check vercal so the gauge is facing down. Start to agitate
vigorously for 5-10 seconds. Turn the Aqua-Check around so the gauge is facing up and agitate again
for 5-10 seconds. Tap the sides to make the sample fall into the chamber cap. This process should be
repeated for 1-3 minutes, or unl the gauge reading in Step 8 has stabilized.
• With Pulverizing Balls: Hold the Aqua-Check horizontal and use an orbital moon to spin the balls
around inside the chamber. Agitate for 20 seconds and rest for 20 seconds, repeat this process three
mes. Periodically check the posion of the gauge indicator and connue the cycle unl the indicator
has stabilized.
Operang Instrucons Connued
STEP 8: At eye level, hold the vessel horizontally to read the pressure gauge. Wait for the indicator needle to stop
moving. The gauge will read in percent water content of wet weight.
STEP 9: Make sure the black dot on the chamber cap is facing away from your face and body, then slowly loosen the
top screw to vent pressurized gas from the vessel.
STEP 10: Place the used sample mixture and residue in an open dry container and dispose. Use the coarse bristle
brush to clean the vessel and prepare for the next test.
Accuracy
When tesng soils, it is recommended that the procedures are in Standard Test Method for Field Determinaon of
Water Content of Soil by the Calcium Carbide Gas Pressure Tester Method. This will insure accurate and reliable results.
For opmum accuracy with most materials the Aqua-Check results should be correlated with oven-dry tests for each
material.
1. Select several samples of the material to be tested that have a wide range of water content.
2. Carefully divide each sample into two representave specimens.
3. Run a test on one specimen in the Aqua-Check and record the gauge reading. Oven dry the other and calculate the
percent of moisture.
4. Plot the oven-dry moistures on a graph vs. the gauge reading and draw a best-t curve through the points. If there
is a wide scaer in points on the graph this could indicate operaon errors or that the material is not suitable for
this comparison.
5. On your graph, nd the point where the gauge reading intersects the correlaon curve and record that value as the
corrected percent.
Exceponally cool or warm ambient temperatures may cause uctuaons in the test results. Repeated tesng or hot
weather may heat up the vessel body and show test results that are arcially high. Allow the vessel me to cool down
before re-tesng.

21 Washington Avenue
Scarborough, ME
888.293.2121
[e-mail]
www.myerstest.com
Troubleshoong
• Tesng procedure errors: Review instrucons and procedures.
• Incorrect sample weights: Check the balance operaon and re-zero.
• Errors in corrected values: Change in material type. Repeat correlaon procedure with new material.
• Insucient agitaon: Some cohesive materials may need 3 minutes or more, using the steel pulverizing balls.
• Insucient quanty of reagent: Add an addional scoop of reagent.
• Ineecve reagent: Replace with fresh calcium carbide reagent.
• Premature contact between reagent and specimen: Insure the vessel is held horizontal when mang with cap.
• Insucient sample preparaon: Break cohesive material into ner sizes and use pulverizing balls.
• Inadequate pressure seal: Check and clean chamber cap gasket. Inspect the vessel, cap and srrup for damage or
cracks.
• Defecve gauge: Gauge needle should rest at zero and move smoothly, repeat if defecve.
• Low temperature: Run two or three cycles to warm up vessel.
• High temperature: Allow vessel to cool down.
• Moisture inside vessel prior to tesng: Insure vessel and cap are completely dry before tesng.
• Gauge reading error: Hold the vessel horizontally at eye level when reading the gauge.
• Residue from previous tests: Use included coarse-bristle brush to clean the vessel thoroughly between tests.