hvac test equipment?

[zeke344]

Hi, im new to hvac, just out of trade school. I want to buy some new equipment. Leak detector, vacuum pump, and manifold set. Any suggestions?What brand? Any i should avoid? Thank you

[timebuilder]

I think the answer depends on the type of work you will be doing. I don't own a sampling type leak detector. I use pressurized nitrogen, a bubble solution, and an ultrasonic device that transorms the high frequency sound being produced by the leak into an audible range sound that is very effective at finding leaks.
Any quality vacpump will do fine.

[phbsales]

Get yourself a set of Digi-Cools for your manifold set.

http://www.professionalequipment.com/digi-cool-digital-refrigeration-system-analyzer-drsa1200/refrigerant-recovery-tools/?source=pegs&cid=PESEFGL

[Kaleun494]

If you are on a budget but still want quality then Yellow Jacket makes great 2 valve manifolds.

http://www.yellowjacket.com/product/744

[Skip1]

Check you local area pawn shops. You will be surprised what you might find. If you see anything interesting just call on one of your tech buddies and ask them if its a good deal. Had my service truck broken into once and the took everything of value. I'm sure it ended up in some pawn shop. Never did get any of it back. Remember to always keep your truck locked a the job site. I learned a lesson the hard way.

[Ducktape]

Some things to consider over time: Vibration meter. Digital Vacuum gage (starting at 2000 microns and going to zero). Fluke meter that also reads temperatures and inrush Amps. Kilowatt meter (you can get for a couple hundred $). Delta pressure gage.