Old school residential HVAC tools

[Firebrick43]

My 25 year old central AC unit stopped the other day and it needs a new fan motor. In the process of checking everything out I pulled my digital IR temp gun to help figure out superheat and it didn't work. New 9V battery, would start and pull the trigger it would die and restart as if the battery was questionable in current output but another battery same thing. Seen same scenario with digital torque wrenches which is always why I stuck with split beams.

Ended up using the kids rectal thermometer to measure the pressure line (they won't use it again as they are older now) and it did ok. At work I always used a fluke with clamp on thermocouple but my personal fluke isn't that fancy and really don't want to drop coin on another DMM or some fancy thermocouple only device that will be dead the next time I use it. If I was doing it professionally I surely would have a nice fieldpiece digital manifold with the wireless clip on thermometers.

I used a pocket kitchen thermometer to measure Delta T on the plenum and registers(don't tell my wife) and got to thinking, they had to use something like this before the digital age. But how did they hold it against the lines to take the measurements (without just setting there manually holding it for a few minutes)

Doing some google and ebay searches there certainly were analog micron gauges but they looked to be ungainly things. Were they used in the field on residential systems?

All my professional experience came from working on mill water cooled refrigerant chillers for CNC machines well after digital age tools were in play, More curious to what was used back in the day.

 

[bonneyman]

I had a few electronic gizmos when I worked in HVAC for almost 30 years. Most of my stuff was analog and/or old school. never had any issues. You don't have to spend $$$ to do A/C for the average home unit. I did mostly R22 systems with some R410a before I retired. Not a few times I had fellow technicians go bug-eyed when I pulled out analog meters and thermostats.
Were they as accurate as their digital equivalents? No. But if I dropped or fried one I didn't have to take out a mortgage to get a replacement.

If you are interested I can put together a short list for you - don't have the time right now.

 

[Firebrick43]

I had a few electronic gizmos when I worked in HVAC for almost 30 years. Most of my stuff was analog and/or old school. never had any issues. You don't have to spend $$$ to do A/C for the average home unit. I did mostly R22 systems with some R410a before I retired. Not a few times I had fellow technicians go bug-eyed when I pulled out analog meters and thermostats.
Were they as accurate as their digital equivalents? No. But if I dropped or fried one I didn't have to take out a mortgage to get a replacement.

If you are interested I can put together a short list for you - don't have the time right now.

I would be interested in some pics or a list if you ever have time. Lots of history of other tools here, never seen HVAC stuff

 

[mike93lx]

But how did they hold it against the lines to take the measurements (without just setting there manually holding it for a few minutes)

Couple wraps of electrical tape feels like a simple solution

 

[Firebrick43]

Couple wraps of electrical tape feels like a simple solution

It would be, But I am not interested in Jerry rigging it, it makes me feel dirty and cheap. And not in a frugal way

I am interested what the pros used in years past.

 

[mike93lx]

It would be, But I am not interested in Jerry rigging it, it makes me feel dirty and cheap. And not in a frugal way

I am interested what the pros used in years past.

Quick, simple, cheap and effective doesn't mean jerry rigged. I take that classification as half-assed or corner cutting. Curious as to what bonneyman or any other former techs will say on it, though

 

[bonneyman]

First off, having a good set of various hand tools is a must. Screwdrivers, wrenches, pliers, nutdrivers, etc. can be pulled from your tool boards and shop as all A/C units are put together like most other appliances. I used a Bucket Boss - a multi-pocketed nylon sheath that slid over a 5 gallon bucket. Can carry a tool of stuff in there. Later on I put together a smaller Bare-bones tool kit out of a Husky plastic tote I got from Home Depot. That way, I would carry the small tote up on the roof and could do most jobs, but if I needed anything specialized I'd make a trip down to the truck and put it at the base of the ladder. Then pull it up with a rope and hook. No sense risking falling because you didn't have both hands on the ladder.
Your mileage may vary - set up your tools according to what you need.

 

[bonneyman]

I started out with tools I could afford - usually old school ones. I did upgrade some over the years but in most cases went back to the old stuff.
Thermometers - analog dial, or mercury bulb styles.
Gauges - I had one set of gauges and hoses for about 5 years. I finally got a second set when I dropped my first one and got caught with nothing to back it up with. I personally never went with electronic gauges, but started buying used manifolds and rebuilding/repairing them. I'm especially proud of the vintage set I restore, dates to probably the 1940's.
Meters - My first clamp meter was a Johnstone. Did volts, amps, ohms, millivolts, and temperature with an adaptor. Have secured a few others over the years but have migrated back to the old Amprobe "beetle meter". Doesn't need a battery for volts and amps, will work down to -5 deg, and will withstand a 5 foot drop.
Whatever works for ya.

 

[bonneyman]

Specialized equipment can be bought as the need/skill set arises.
A good quality capacitor tester is worth it's weight in gold (though with a clamp meter and separate voltage meter you can do long-hand style and check run caps.)
A schrader valve core remover is one expensive bit I'd get. Allows you to remove and replace a valve core without losing the charge.

RealTorque® Core Removal Tools - Yellow Jacket HVAC Supplies and Products

The YELLOW JACKET® RealTorque® Core Removal Tool is essential for effectively removing and replacing HVAC/R system Schrader cores.

yellowjacket.com

A condensate line cleaner is another fancy bit that I think one should have. Runs off of a CO2 cartridge, hand-held, small, with adapters allows you to safely blow out plugged restricted drains.

CO2 Drain Cleaning Gun - Model DG1-T - Iso-Tip

Our CO2 drain cleaning gun has a flexible hose with rubber tip and a max working pressure of 800 psi. The use of CO2 is environmentally friendly.

iso-tip.com

 

[bonneyman]

After years in the industry I discovered the value of flare wrenches. Bonney made some really good ones, but they can be hard to source. Any good set of flare wrenches will do.
Over time I accumulated various small screwdrivers and thermostat tools to adjust/clean stats and other small electrical switches. You can grab those as you need them.
One cool minidrivers I got was a pair of micro screw starters. Absolutely killer for taking thermostat screws out without dropping them. Works well on computers and stereo equipment, too!

Micro Screw Starter | Phillips #00 Precision Tool | Micro-Mark

Start tiny Phillips screws with ease using Micro-Mark’s Micro Screw Starter. Spring-loaded tip securely holds #00 screws for precision placement.

micromark.com

 

[bonneyman]

I used a ratchet and sockets for awhile, finally upgrading to ratcheting box wrenches in 1996. Gearwrench. Still have that set. Never broke one, tweaked one, or had one fail. And I wrenched on them hard!
Since then they've come out will all sorts of variations (super long, double box ends, flex, etc.), but whatever set you have handy will usually work fine.

 

[Firebrick43]

Thank you. The rectal thermometer doesn't look that much different. Yesterday when checking the A coil that little drain buster would have been nice.

The second manifold set looks awesome and I wish modern ones had gauge faces that easy to read