Electronic Leak Detection
A Good Electronic Leak Detector Makes All the DifferenceA good electronic leak detector is one of the best investments a shop can make. We've tested many, over the last fifteen years, and we think the Yokogawa is still number one. They have fewer false alarms and accuracy that exceeds all standars of the industry.
Photo courtesy ACSource.Com
Basically, there are two types of electronic leak detectors. Those that use a heated diode, like the Yokogawa, and those that use a corona discharge. On the corona discharge type, anything that breaks that corona barrier will set off the detector. You name it - dust, moisture, refrigerant (sometimes), solvents, etc. This is why we prefer the heated diode type detectors. They are less prone to false alarms from moisture and shop chemicals. Heated diode type leak detectors are also much more sensitive to R134a. Other leak detectors are suitable for finding R12 and R22 leaks, but we've found that leaks in R134a systems are best located by using the heated diode detectors.
The Inexpensive Heated Diode Leak Detector
We tested the TEK-Mate from Inficon, and we liked it. It has a short warm-up time, and it does well with R134a. If you like the idea of having a heated diode leak detector, but just can't afford one of the high end models, this is the one to get.
