Arkansas HVACR NewsMagazine May 2022

HVACR NewsMagazine May 2022

Tech News

Ultrasonic leak detectors

Heated diode leak detectors set the standard for sensitivity and tend to be great at pinpointing leaks. Their sensors are very sensitive and can pick up even small refrigerant leaks. Unfortunately, the sensors are prone to fouling and may need relatively frequent replacement, which can be costly. Heated diode leak detectors also need a little bit of time to warm up before use and may pick up false positives from other substances, including soap bubbles.

Infrared leak detectors

Infrared leak detectors constantly compare their surroundings to look for abnormalities, such as the conditions created by leaking refrigerant. Since they are always recalibrating themselves, you must constantly move them to find a leak; if you hold an infrared leak detector completely still

Ultrasonic leak detectors come with a set of headphones to allow you to hear leaks. In other words, they rely on picking up sounds instead of chemicals. You can use these to find leaks on flat systems as long as you flow nitrogen, as it will pick up the sound of nitrogen escaping the system through the leak. Ultrasonic leak detectors can be invaluable tools, but they work best on systems that have oil on the inside of the tubing; when you have oil on the inside of the tubing and water on the outside, the leaking vapor passes over liquid and creates a squealing noise. Some may argue that electronic leak detectors are too finicky, so using them to pinpoint leaks is a waste of time. Although electronic leak detection can be tricky, it can be quite useful when done correctly, especially on coils; you may be able to pinpoint a leak without cutting through the fins to spray the coil with bubbles. Accuracy tips for electronic leak detectors

over a leak, it probably won’t recognize the leak. As such, it’s a bit more difficult to pinpoint leaks and estimate their size than with a heated diode leak detector. However, infrared leak detectors’ sensor s are acceptable for the job, typically last long, and are less susceptible to false positives than heated diode leak detectors.