ReplyI haven't tried that particular leak detector, but I have tried plenty of others. I still come back to the Bacharach H-10G. IMO it is the best leak detector on the market.
Professional Member
Gentleman : Happy New Years !!!! I have been given a new Christmas present from our contract employeer , we work on low pressure R-123 systems , 2 York YT and CVHF Tranes my question is we have been given a leak detector Reed C-380 and was wondering if anybody had used these units and if so how did you find they worked ?????????? aside from these units , what do you recommend .
Any input would be greatly appreciated , thanks in advance.
Professional Member
I haven't tried that particular leak detector, but I have tried plenty of others. I still come back to the Bacharach H-10G. IMO it is the best leak detector on the market.
Professional Member*
I didn't know that the H-10 was now made (or marketed) by Bacharach. I've used, and seen others use, other detectors, but the H-10 is the only one I've ever spent company money on. If I was buying a detector with my money, this is the only one I would buy. The majority of my career has been working on low pressure. Mostly R11, R123, and a few R113 chillers. I've also used it numerous times with R12, R22, and R134a. Oh, and a Happy New Year to you too, Troy!
Professional Member
3rd vote for the H-10. I used junky cordless battery powered detectors by many different manufacturers for years and I was convinced to purchase an H-10 when a co-worker found a leak on the thrust bearing cover on a centravac with one, and the detector I was using at the time did not so much as chirp. Made me think back about all the machines I had leak checked in the past and how many leaks I have probably missed...
Don't pick the fly crap out of the pepper.
Professional Member
Another vote here for the H10 ....but........ I only use it as a guide . If it chirps then I go somewhere else then back to the suspect spot several times before reaching for the liquid Snoop .....no bubbles no troubles .
The toy chest is officially full ... I got a new toy..... 2007 Aston Martin V8 Vantage
You bend em" I"ll mend em" !!!!!!!
I"m not a service tech, I’m retired ….I used to be a thermodynamic transfer analyst & strategic system sustainability specialist
In the new big shop , greasin', oilin' . tweakin' n shinin' !!
Professional Member
Gentleman : I appreciate the info and believe without a doubt H-10 is the unit I want , problem we had yesterday and just cause Healey Nut mentioned liquid snoop , we thought we had found some leaks and then tried to find to find them with fluorescent leak detector but then found the electronic leak detectors now picks up the leak detector soap , so I guess my question is does the leak detector not pick up the liquid snoop or is that just a common problem with all leak detector soaps or is there a product that doesn't create a false reading after using it and is there a residue effect after the leak detector soap is used to create more false readings .
Again as I always say I appreciate your time and expertise in answering my many questions.
Professional Member
Ive tried all those fancy fluorescent soaps and clinging soaps and all the other gimmicks they try with leak detector soaps . Snoop works period and doesnt leave a soapy waxy residue behind it just dries up and its gone .Originally Posted by Troy Love
Gentleman : I appreciate the info and believe without a doubt H-10 is the unit I want , problem we had yesterday and just cause Healey Nut mentioned liquid snoop , we thought we had found some leaks and then tried to find to find them with fluorescent leak detector but then found the electronic leak detectors now picks up the leak detector soap , so I guess my question is does the leak detector not pick up the liquid snoop or is that just a common problem with all leak detector soaps or is there a product that doesn't create a false reading after using it and is there a residue effect after the leak detector soap is used to create more false readings .
Again as I always say I appreciate your time and expertise in answering my many questions.
I got turned onto Snoop a few years back when I was working at a plant on a recip chiller having leak issues , had nitrogen test in the chiller no residue gas so was just using soap , couldnt find the leak ran out of regular blue soap . Guy at the plant said here try this and found the leaks in no time . Some of the soaps are just too goopy snoop is just water with a surfactant in it thats why it works so well on natural gas leaks, it bubbles instantly even at very low pressure .
H10 and Snoop all the way for me now , low pressure high pressure it dont matter leaks cant hide from Snoop .
The toy chest is officially full ... I got a new toy..... 2007 Aston Martin V8 Vantage
You bend em" I"ll mend em" !!!!!!!
I"m not a service tech, I’m retired ….I used to be a thermodynamic transfer analyst & strategic system sustainability specialist
In the new big shop , greasin', oilin' . tweakin' n shinin' !!
Professional Member*
I'm another vote on the H-10 and snoop. The H-10 is so powerful it will pick up on the smallest leaks (1/2 oz. per year). That's why I follow up with the snoop. On a larger machine, if the leak is not large enough to bubble up the snoop, I'm not going to wast my time trying to repair it. If its a very small machine, like the refrigerant circuit on a purge that holds 6 oz. refrigerant, I will repair it just off the H-10.
Professional Member
H10.
and, I just picked up the battery powered version. H10Pm. Pleasantly surprised
\m/
original member of the racoon brotherhood
Professional Member
what does snoop cost?
Keep it simple to keep it cool!
Professional Member*
what is snoop.....
it was working.... played with it.... now its broke.... whats the going hourly rate for HVAC repair
Professional Member
Its a swagelock product and its cheap .
http://www.swagelok.com/products/lea...-detector.aspx
The toy chest is officially full ... I got a new toy..... 2007 Aston Martin V8 Vantage
You bend em" I"ll mend em" !!!!!!!
I"m not a service tech, I’m retired ….I used to be a thermodynamic transfer analyst & strategic system sustainability specialist
In the new big shop , greasin', oilin' . tweakin' n shinin' !!
Professional Member*
thanks...newer seen it before..... is it good.....
it was working.... played with it.... now its broke.... whats the going hourly rate for HVAC repair
Professional Member
Thanks all to replies and thanks Healey Nut for the info on Snoop , will try Monday
Professional Member*
Here's another "Thanks, Healey Nut" for the tip on Snoop. Never heard of it, but it sounds good. And I agree with those that say the H-10 is just the first step of leak detecting. Follow up with soap (soon to be Snoop). Also, on the bigger stuff, I agree with "no bubbles, no problems". After all, what's a half ounce per year when the charge is hundreds, or thousands of pounds?
New Guest
a little glycol in your soapy solution will create smaller bubbles for those micro/tiny leaks.
Regular Guest
I have had good results with Simple Green, and it de-greases at the same time. Just rinse with water when done
Professional Member*
As a side note... You really need to read the MSDS on R123 refrigerant. Bad thing have been known to happen in the state of California with that particular type of refrigerant. Get yourself a respirator with good chemical filters and make sure there is a full time working leak detector in the room.
...Ron
Roof Rat
Professional Member
Yup. Nasty stuff. I haven't set up a room leak sniffer for 123 in a few years, but remember the ppm setting was way, way lower than other regrigerants.
Sent from my ADR6300 using Tapatalk 2
Professional Member
Please elaborate regarding the state of California. From everything I've read it's not much worse than R-11. The exposure limits to cause serious harm are much higher than one would think. Read the MSDS from DuPont. Testing levels for inhalation for rats was 32,000 ppm! And 19,000 ppm for dogs. Sheez, in a well ventilated room those kinds of concentrations are not going to be realized.
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