A Flood. A Flash of Inspiration. A New Product.

One morning I came downstairs to my kitchen to see the ceiling on the floor. We had a plumbing leak in the ceiling space and for several hours without being noticed. Water had been flowing into my newly renovated kitchen!

After turning off the water, I called my insurance company and local flood damage restoration company. By the time the local company got to my house, the kitchen’s engineered wood floor had already started to deform. The contractor removed it and out came a home inspection tool I’d hoped to see -- a hand held moisture meter.

Coincidentally, the contractor was using a Protimeter moisture meter. I couldn’t have been more pleased. I did not, however, let on that the meter he was using was one that I had come up with. I watched with a quiet pride as he began conducting a moisture inspection.

I’m sure the contractor noticed me intently observing him inspect my kitchen, taking water damage moisture readings. I imagine he wondered why I had taken such a keen interest in what he was doing. As he inspected the space, there were several instances where he was on his hands and knees taking readings while trying to avoid old flooring staples poking up. I couldn’t help but wonder how Protimeter could make a job like his easier -- surely my house wouldn’t be the last to have a plumbing mishap.

Then inspiration struck. I decided Protimeter could make a moisture meter that was more user-friendly and made conducting moisture surveys less dangerous, or at the very least, improve efficiency.

That’s when the “ReachMaster Pro” came to me. If we made a pinless moisture meter with an extendable handle that was non-invasive, an operator could use it while standing up. Moisture inspections would be:

Faste
Safer
Ergonomic

I thought about the benefits and the uses for such a device. You could take readings on ceilings and high spots on walls. You would almost never need to use a ladder again! With a long reach, the meter could also access those hard to reach places, such as crawl spaces or gaps between machinery and appliances.

Everything just made complete sense. Maybe the flood in my kitchen wasn’t such a bad thing after all.

Protimeter’s ReachMaster Pro: From Concept to Reality

Heading into work, I immediately met with my team and began development of what would become one of our newest -- and most unique -- products: the ReachMaster Pro. After many meetings, including input from key customers, our engineering team turned the ReachMaster Pro into a new and exciting reality. Now, some 18 months after my flood we had a great product that our users absolutely love.

A Quick Overview of the Protimeter’s ReachMaster Pro

The ReachMaster Pro boasts these key features:

Non-invasive moisture measurement
Wireless communication between the sensor head and display
Telescopic handle adjusts from 27” to 48” (69 cm to 114 cm)
Color Display: Tilt-adjustable with red, yellow and green zones
Measurement Range: 60-999 Relative
Audible alarm
Auto shut-off
Adjustable sensitivity to focus in on moisture source
Multi-language menu
Replaceable sensor wear plate with wear indicator on abrasion plate (1 spare included)
Simple field recalibration
Battery Life: 80 hours on continuous operation
Firmware upgradeable by the user, as new features become available