In this article, we will explain why a soil sensor will not reach the 100% VWC.
Our soil moisture sensors measure the volumetric water content. That means the volume of water, divided by the volume of soil. As the sensor should be used to measure the water content in soil, the sensor is considering that there is soil media. Therefore, the sensor will not reach 100% VWC. The maximum reading will be around 80%, dependent on the soil type calibration. As the soil media will take approximately 20% of the volume, depending on the calibration, 80% is the measuring limit of the sensor. For some soil, the maximum reading is even lower, this is depending on the field capacity of your soil.
When putting your sensor into a bucket of water to test if it reaches 100%. The sensor did not reach 100%. It probably reached a level around 80%. As mentioned above, 100% cannot be reached. But how can you verify if your sensor readings are accurate? Please contact our Support team for a valid testing method.