sub cooling superheat tools

[xersw]

my boss is persistent about me doing service.what would be a good digital thermometer for figuring out sub cooling and superheat.thye fluke model 52-2.i think this even figures out your differential?good? any thoughts?

[service guy]

Go with the fluke 52-2 and fluke pipe clamp probe!

[doglips]

I use a fluke pipe clamp probe hooked to a feild peice MM....not a fluke but works and seems a LOT more accurrate than a pipe clamp thermomoter I was useing or cliping the thermocupler from the MM to the pipe.

[cool-blew]

I bought one of the fluke pipe clamp deals, it was so far off, and been leary of them ever since.

[mark beiser]

Originally posted by cool-blew
I bought one of the fluke pipe clamp deals, it was so far off, and been leary of them ever since.

I have been using the pipe clamp probes for about 10 years now and find them to be the most accurate way to get the temperature of a pipe.

If you are doing the typical ice water test to check its accuracy, you have to clamp it around a small section of pipe or something. They don't directly read liquid or air temperatures very accuratly.

[plick27]

Been thinking about getting a Cooper/Atkins MFM300 Multi-Function Meter, has just about everything covered in one meter. Anyone have any feedback on this thing. Have used a cooper SH66A with no problems.

[bugman1400]

Does the clamp on pipe probe for the Fluke 54 also work with a Fluke 87?

Also, is using a non-contact, IR thermometer accurate enough for determining superheat temperatures?

[hvacsteve82]

Originally posted by bugman1400
Does the clamp on pipe probe for the Fluke 54 also work with a Fluke 87?

Also, is using a non-contact, IR thermometer accurate enough for determining superheat temperatures?

lol nope

[fitter638nyc]

My set up.

[Edited by fitter638nyc on 07-16-2006 at 11:02 PM]

[mark beiser]

Originally posted by bugman1400
Does the clamp on pipe probe for the Fluke 54 also work with a Fluke 87?

Yes, Fluke temperature probes are mostly all Type K thermocouples that will work with any instrument that uses Type K thermocouples.
A few of the specialty probes are Type J or T thermocouples, so watch out if you get some of the oddball probes.

Also, is using a non-contact, IR thermometer accurate enough for determining superheat temperatures?

Absolutely not!

You can get reasonably accurate by painting an area flat black, and or adjusting emisivity settings on the meter, but non contact thermometers should never be used for applications where a high degree of accuracy is required.

[R12rules]

IR meters are one of THE most repeated threads here. Along with txv's, cap tube problems and beer.

do a search of this site to find your answers to that question.

[R12rules]

if your gonna use a thermometer to measure superheat and subcooling, your in the top ten percent of this forum. So my hat is off to you!

Many will talk about insturements, but when push comes to shove, they just leave those expensive tools in the truck.


I carry mine along in padded cases with aluminum snap hooks to attach them to my belt or tool bag.

It's easy to say someone is a service man, it's quite another to demonstrate the proof by using the correct insturements in order to do the job right.

[on call]

I use the Fluke 52 with two Fieldpiece clamp meters.

Both clamps go on when I start the service and come off when done. I like the capability of measuring BOTH SH & SC regardless of the type of metering device used.