LFE Measurement Guide

by | May 28, 2020 | EMF Basics, LFE Measurement Guide | 2 comments

Mito Meter Measurement & Mitigation Methods – EMF/RF Basics – E-Field Measurements.

Here is a quick checklist for measuring electric fields in the Mito Meter LFE Mode. Low-Frequency Electric fields are also called E-Field’s in the world of electronics.

Out of the three field types we can measure with the Mito Meter, ‘RF, LFM and LFE,’ the LFE E-Fields can be quite a menace indoors unless you live in Chicago or New York where they have a code of practice which states all A/C electrical wiring and fit offs are shielded in both residential and commercial buildings.

Living in larger homes where you are situated further away from walls and ceilings are usually more favorable than being boxed in small roomed homes as long as there are no electrical runs under the floors where you sleep or spend time. Homes or buildings with electrical cabling concealed in concrete walls, floors and ceilings are also effective at eliminating E-Fields if the electrical ground and wiring have no issues.

Below is a brief rundown of the nine basic measurement methods I use when using the Mito Meter for quickly screening properties.

1/ There is no need to move the Mito Meter around at different angles when measuring environments for E-Fields, as required when using the Mito Meter LFM & RF Modes. In LFE Mode simply hold the meter towards the direction you want to check. There are no rules to how close you can measure. In fact, sometimes it’s handy to place the meter directly on a device or surface and take your hand off the meter so you get both a body potential E-Field reading as well as a potential free E-Field reading. See 4 & 8 below for more information.

2/ If you have electrostatic build-up from clothes or carpet while you are taking E-Field readings you will find that since your body acts as an electrical capacitor the meter will fluctuate as you move around and your body discharges excess electric build-up. You shouldn’t use synthetic clothes, carpets, curtains or synthetic flooring unless it is anti-static, as static electricity is equally as problematic as current electricity. If in a situation where you are causing excessive static electricity just keep your body still as you note E-Field strength.

3/ Measure the places you spend time in. Interesting places to measure are earthing sheets or grounding products along with your kitchen sink. You will be surprised how much voltage rides on the grounding of your electrical system. If an A/C electrical system is wired correctly and there are no problems with connected electrical equipment or devices you shouldn’t get any more than a couple of LED lights on the Mito Meter when taking a reading at the kitchen sink, or next to the grounding stake by the power distribution board of your property. Most people will get more than one light as its hard to find well designed and maintained electrical systems without problematic connected equipment. Lighting electrical infrastructure is the most problematic for electric fields in most homes that don’t have high ceilings or shielded electrical runs.

4/ The Mito Meter is calibrated to use your body as a voltage potential to boost its E-Field sensitivity. This is called a body voltage potential reading. When you measure an electric field and sit the meter down next to what you are measuring, and step away from the meter at least one meter, this is a hands-free method called a potential free reading. When new to using the Mito Meter, hold the meter to take LFE measurements. Taking both potential free and body potential readings come in handy when problem-solving and mitigating as the two measurement methods used together tells its own story.

5/ Check walls, floors and ceilings that back on to electrical infrastructure. Make sure you don’t sleep or spend extended periods in close proximity to electrical cable runs concealed behind walls, under floors and within ceiling cavities. Definitely do not sleep anywhere near power distribution boards/smart meters, solar inverters, air-conditioning units, or anywhere near where the power comes into the house.

6/ Check electric field levels/E-Fields around your home or office on LFE Mode and then turn all circuits off at the power distribution board, including the master kill switch. Then measure again in those same places. In most cases, there will be a huge difference in the results. You can then narrow down which circuits are the most problematic by switching back on circuits one at a time and noting which circuits are the most problematic.

7/ Check anything and everything plugged into an electrical socket, as well as any items connected to those plugged-in electronics, like your IP landline that is plugged into your modem/router. Check any conductive structures like metal pylons, kitchen bench, steel-framed beds, spring framed mattresses, pluming/taps/shower heads and aluminium window frames above beds.

8/ Hold the meter in your right hand when taking E-Field/LFE measurements so you don’t block the sensor which is situated in the left side of the meter. This is an easy one to forget. You will still get a result holding the meter in your left hand, but it can potentially under-read the E-Field unless you hold the end of the Mito Meter between your left hand’s finger and thumb when measuring.

9/ For optimal results you don’t want any solid green lights on LFE Mode up to a couple of meters away from your bed. That’s the goal anyway. The Mito Meter display reads down to approximately 2V/m. (Volt per meter) Higher-end professional meters like the top of the range Low-Frequency Gigahertz Solution meters that Building Biologists use for home assessments measure down to 0.2 V/m (200mV/m) and this is why I recommend the above 1 – 2-meter distance rule with no solid green LED lights around sleeping areas, as these fields drop off with distance. It is extremely rare to find a bedroom with less than 0.3V/m. Places like in the kitchen and office you want to aim for no solid green lights where you stand or sit.

Click Here to read more on how to measure Radio Frequencies/microwave radiation/5G on RF Mode.