dye injector

[bitterjack]

does anybody know where I can find a dye injector for a non-automotive 134a water chiller? It has standard 1/4" male flared fittings for suction and discharge service valves. The only 134a dyes I can find are for automotive use (ie have those damn quick connect fittings on them).
I have a small leak in a 3.5 pound system that is really starting to tick me off. I used the soap bubble test and of course could not find it. I do not have a sniffer nor can I afford one.

[sonc]

Put in ar-glo capsule

[airworx]

hate to be your customer.

[bitterjack]

I am my own customer. We use the chiller to cool the water than pipe the water to electronics on paper machines - the electronics are my real job. It is a super slow leak but a leak non the less.
I do not think it is leaking into the water condenser coil or the evap coil because there is good water flow in both.
But as far as you hating to be my customer, I am assuming you meant because of the constant sweating but luckily no one is doing that because of me.

[clydemule]

I don't see how a leak in the condenser or evap would effect water flow.

If you have a brazed plate evap and it was frozen at one time you could have leak that is hard to find. I always have the tech shove his sniffer inside the overflow port on the chilled water reservoir, if I suspect a leak in the evap. That is super rare, but if someone dinks with the flow switch and "lightly" freezes it it can delaminate a couple of plates and dump gas into the water.

If you have a reservoir vented to atmosphere, try putting a rubber on the vent or overflow port. Make sure everything else is sealed. DOesn't have to ribbed or lubed or anything. It will inflate stlighty if you have a leak into the evap and then into the chiller reservoir. I know it sounds like BS but I have seen it work a couple of times.

We tried a dye injector once, can't remember the name. We didn't seem too keen on it for some reason. Long time ago (maybe a week!).

GOod luck.

Clyde

[cxagent]

Spectroline makes dye injectors like you are looking for. Be warned, it may be cheaper to buy an electronic leak detector than to buy all the stuff you will need for the Spectroline system (bleed valves, dye cartridge, UV light, etc.) Most refrigeration supply house carry Spectroline dye cartridges. Johnstone seems to be everywhere and will probably be happy to sell to you.

It might be cheaper to by the automotive dye injector and 'convert' it to 1/4" flare. If there are pipe threads on the automotive it would just take a couple of brass fittings. If no pipe thread, you may have to cut the hose and put a hose barb/hose clamp on it.