Best tool/tools for AC leak detection?
- Thread starter Puckett_k
- Start date
vssjim
ALLIANCE MEMBER
UV Dye lights are kind of a standard now
metaldad
Well-known member
Corded..........The best in the industry - H10G, made by whomever had the patent that year, now it's Bacharach.
http://www.bacharach-inc.com/h-10g.htm
Cordless - H10PM.
http://www.bacharach-inc.com/h-10pm.htm
http://www.bacharach-inc.com/h-10g.htm
Cordless - H10PM.
http://www.bacharach-inc.com/h-10pm.htm
chris142
Well-known member
Yupp. Those are the only sniffers that work.Corded..........The best in the industry - H10G, made by whomever had the patent that year, now it's Bacharach.
http://www.bacharach-inc.com/h-10g.htm
Cordless - H10PM.
http://www.bacharach-inc.com/h-10pm.htm
I'm pretty sure that could be dangerous. Air and refrigerant can be explosive or combustable. Also, it would put moisture into the system,
Best is the gray matter between your ears. Most leaks can be found by looking over the system carefully.
Then there's the hard ones...UV dye works well for most of these.
My favorite dye light I made by accident. I had a 2xAA LED Maglite that suffered intermittent connection, making it blink out. I disassembled it, and sprayed it off with either electronic parts cleaner, or brake cleaner (I forget). When I reassembled it, it no longer had the intermeittent connection, but it only put out a faint bluish purple light. I later realized it was UV. It will make UV dye glow much brighter than the UV dye light I bought for that actual purpose (plus that one had alligator clips for 12v battery. AA cordless is so much more handy).
Then there's the hard ones...UV dye works well for most of these.
My favorite dye light I made by accident. I had a 2xAA LED Maglite that suffered intermittent connection, making it blink out. I disassembled it, and sprayed it off with either electronic parts cleaner, or brake cleaner (I forget). When I reassembled it, it no longer had the intermeittent connection, but it only put out a faint bluish purple light. I later realized it was UV. It will make UV dye glow much brighter than the UV dye light I bought for that actual purpose (plus that one had alligator clips for 12v battery. AA cordless is so much more handy).
DHS
Well-known member
I do not know the best, but know the worst first hand.
I had a large leak somewhere last year and went into the house to try the soap and water. Well I spotted my daughters bubble (the kind with the little wand inside). It would not bubble anywhere, so I still had to get dish detergent. I found the leak with it no problem.
Trying to find the leak with "bubbles" was not the problem, its was all the corrosion on anything aluminum that I sprayed it on. That stuff was horrible. I washed it with soap and water and now spray it with penetrating oil every now and then. It does not seem to be getting worse, but it was bad enough. Brand new compressor too.
I had a large leak somewhere last year and went into the house to try the soap and water. Well I spotted my daughters bubble (the kind with the little wand inside). It would not bubble anywhere, so I still had to get dish detergent. I found the leak with it no problem.
Trying to find the leak with "bubbles" was not the problem, its was all the corrosion on anything aluminum that I sprayed it on. That stuff was horrible. I washed it with soap and water and now spray it with penetrating oil every now and then. It does not seem to be getting worse, but it was bad enough. Brand new compressor too.
bobcatdan
Well-known member
I first start with the uv light. If that fails and the system is empty which on skidsteers, it normally is bone dry. I fill the system with nitrogen and then use this special a/c soap to find the leak. I can fine some pretty small leaks doing that.
knocker
Well-known member
uv light, and if that doesn't it I"ll grab a sniffer
Explosive or combustible ? Never heard that one.....Got to recover whats left in the system and I forgot to say put a regulator in with it.We use this method alot and only insert 130 psi.
Moisture ? Dont have a problem w/our shop air but we vacuum the system down after repairing the leak and you should too anytime the system is open.
We mainly use this for the hard to find leaks that are a pin hole or cracked weld in the condensor or intermittent leaks.
Might try this but common sense must be used.
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chris142
Well-known member
You really should not use shop air to test for leaks. Nitrogen is the proper thing to use and you need about 200psi. 130psi won't find much in the way of leaks.
Any part of an AC system should be able to hold 200psi. If it don't it needed to be replaced anyway. My boss blew up an evap in a Dodge pickup. It let loose @ 300psi and blew the case apart too.
Any part of an AC system should be able to hold 200psi. If it don't it needed to be replaced anyway. My boss blew up an evap in a Dodge pickup. It let loose @ 300psi and blew the case apart too.
A quote from a red dot manual http://www.rdac.com/sites/default/files/Service Manual.pdf
"Fire or explosion hazards exist under certain conditions with R-134a. A combustible mixture can form when air pressures are above atmospheric pressure, and a mix- ture of air and R-134a exist. For this reason do not pressure test air conditioning systems with compressed air."
Well I had one a couple days ago and could not find it. I used 400psi of nitrogen and some foamy glass cleaner... No luck. What is the special AC soap? And do the sniffers work well? I've never tried them. We have had some issues with dye, people dump a boat load in and with the temps our equipment work in it gums up and screws with everything so they don't even buy it anymore.
I would not go to 400 psi. Low side components probably won't hold that pressure.
That said, if it doesn't leak at 400 psi, it doesn't have a leak.
There's also the possiblity, if it leaks, except when you have test equipment hooked up to it, the leak can be your valve cores in your service ports. It does happen.
That said, if it doesn't leak at 400 psi, it doesn't have a leak.
There's also the possiblity, if it leaks, except when you have test equipment hooked up to it, the leak can be your valve cores in your service ports. It does happen.
Steinmetz
Well-known member
Years ago, I used refrigerant with a dye. Otherwise, a halide torch.
djb2
Well-known member
The best leak detection depends on your time frame.
A shop needs to find and fix the leak while the customer is waiting, or before they return at the end of the day. A sniffer is the only way to immediately find a minor leak and later verify that it has been fixed.
If you are working on your own car, you usually have plenty of time. A UV dye will eventually reveal even tiny leaks that won't blow bubbles.
A shop needs to find and fix the leak while the customer is waiting, or before they return at the end of the day. A sniffer is the only way to immediately find a minor leak and later verify that it has been fixed.
If you are working on your own car, you usually have plenty of time. A UV dye will eventually reveal even tiny leaks that won't blow bubbles.