The Delmhorst BDX-30 is a pin-type moisture meter for building inspectors, flooring installers, builders and water damage technicians. It measures timber from 6% to 60% moisture content and drywall from 0.1% to 6%, and has a 1 to 100 reference scale for other building materials. Readings are corrected for wood species and temperature, up to 100 are stored on the meter, and Bluetooth links it to the Delmhorst EDGE app for timestamped, geotagged records. It replaces the Delmhorst BD-2100.
What is in this package
The Wood Flooring package adds the 26-ES slide hammer, which drives insulated pins into timber flooring and subfloors to read at depth. Insulated pins read only at the tip, so you see the moisture at that depth rather than an average through the board.
Which BDX-30 package do I need?
Every package contains the same meter. The difference is the electrodes and spare pins in the case, so pick the package that matches the inspections you do, not the price.
A package normally costs less than buying the electrode separately later. Electrodes you already own from another Delmhorst meter carry across — all Delmhorst electrodes fit all current Delmhorst meters.
Specifications
| Wood moisture range |
6% to 60% (Douglas Fir scale) |
| Drywall range |
0.1% to 6% |
| Reference scale |
1 to 100, for non-wood materials |
| Species correction |
37 species and material corrections in the EDGE app; up to 12 saved to the meter at once |
| Temperature correction |
−18 °C to 124 °C (0 °F to 255 °F) |
| Stored readings |
Up to 100, with high, low, average and standard deviation on screen |
| Connectivity |
Bluetooth to the Delmhorst EDGE app |
| Alarm |
Set point alerts at a user-selected moisture content |
| Calibration |
Internal calibration check |
| Power |
2 × AA alkaline |
| Size |
220 × 72 × 41 mm (meter only) |
| Weight |
244 g (meter only) |
| Electrodes |
Compatible with all Delmhorst electrodes |
| Warranty |
2 years on manufacturing defects |
Replacement pins
For every other Delmhorst pin and retainer, see the Delmhorst Contact Pins and Retainers Guide (PDF).
Frequently asked questions
Pin meter or pinless — which do I need?
The BDX-30 is a pin meter. It measures electrical resistance between two pins, giving a moisture content figure at a known depth, so you can trace where moisture sits in a structure. A pinless meter scans without marking the surface, but reads only near the surface and gives a relative indication. Many inspectors carry both, or a 3-in-1 meter with pin and scan modes in one instrument.
Does it leave holes?
Yes. The integral pins leave two small marks, and electrodes leave larger ones. On finished surfaces, take readings somewhere out of sight — inside a cupboard, under a skirting board or behind furniture. Where no marking is acceptable, use a pinless meter instead.
Why does species selection matter?
Different timbers give different resistance at the same moisture content, so an uncorrected reading can be out by several percent. The EDGE app offers 37 species and material corrections, and up to 12 can be saved to the meter at once. Choosing the correct species turns a rough indication into a reading you can stand behind in a report or a flooring dispute. For Australian timbers, see our Australian Timber Species Correction Tables and the general Correction Tables.
What does the temperature correction do?
Timber resistance also shifts with temperature. Correction from −18 °C to 124 °C means a reading on a cold subfloor can be compared fairly with one in a heated room, which matters when you are tracking drying or acclimatisation over days or weeks.
What is the EDGE app for?
The app connects over Bluetooth, adds a timestamp and geotag to each reading, and exports to CSV. For inspection reports and insurance work, that gives you a dated, located record of readings rather than figures copied onto paper. Download it from the Apple App Store or Google Play.
Can I use my existing electrodes?
Yes. Every current Delmhorst meter accepts every Delmhorst electrode, so a 21-E or 26-ES from an older meter works on the BDX-30.
Support and warranty
The Moisture Meter Company (Aberford Holdings Pty Ltd) is the exclusive Australian distributor for Delmhorst non-agricultural moisture meters. Service, calibration questions and warranty claims are handled here rather than sent overseas.
Two year warranty on manufacturing defects. Registering the meter with Delmhorst, using the QR code on the back of the meter, adds a further three months. This does not exclude, restrict or modify your rights under the Australian Consumer Law. Our goods come with guarantees that cannot be excluded under the ACL. You are entitled to a replacement or refund for a major failure and compensation for any other reasonably foreseeable loss or damage.
What we see in the field
With timber flooring, the wettest board isn't always the one that looks worst. Check several boards across the room and compare them with unaffected flooring of the same species; don't build the whole story around the first reading. Also make sure the pins are testing the wood, not just whatever finish is sitting on top.
Documents
Not sure which package suits your work? Tell us what you are testing — timber floors, wall cavities, concrete slabs, cladding — and we will recommend the meter and electrodes you need. See the full range in Delmhorst Moisture Meters.
