Natural gas leak detecter.

[jack david]

Looking to buy a natural gas leak detector for faster/safer furnace, boiler, occasional w/heater, etc. installs for myself and my skilled helpers. I would be very grateful for some opinions/recommendations and approximate cost. Thanks in advance.

[billg]

Sensit hxg-2d great unit about 400 dollars. No guess work with this one.

http://www.gasleaksensors.com/brochu...d_brochure.pdf

[jack david]

Thanks for your time billg, Excellent information. Went to website and got phone number. Going to call tomorrow and find closest distributor.

[Jim Davis]

I sold the Sensit until Bacharach came out with the Leakator 10 and it blew it away. Less expensive(a little)but much more accurate.

[billg]

I sold the Sensit until Bacharach came out with the Leakator 10 and it blew it away. Less expensive(a little)but much more accurate.

Just out of curiosity what makes the Bacharach more accurate?
Since you live and breath this stuff it would be great if you made a list of your favorites, this would be great when we're looking to buy.

[ga-hvac-tech]

Just for fun...

http://refrigtech.com/Product/Leak_D...lu/bigblu.html

Works well... and does not need batteries... <grin>

Apply, observe, then observe again a few minutes later (after doing something else).

[kangaroogod]

Just bought (12) leakator 10 units for some of my guys and have had great success.. My old school tif 8800 ( I think is the model) also works very well. Bought a few infinicon units but they do not seem solid IMO Just my .02

[Jim Davis]

Just out of curiosity what makes the Bacharach more accurate?
Since you live and breath this stuff it would be great if you made a list of your favorites, this would be great when we're looking to buy.

Each sensor is calibrated to the unit with a special resistor. Most sensors in other gas detectors are in a range that is acceptable but they seem to be more sensitive to things that you don't want to detect. Bacharach uses lights more than noise so it is easier to use in loud places which came in handy when I was on commercial boilers and couldn't hear myself think.

[Jim Davis]

Just bought (12) leakator 10 units for some of my guys and have had great success.. My old school tif 8800 ( I think is the model) also works very well. Bought a few infinicon units but they do not seem solid IMO Just my .02

Tif was the first I ever sold. But went to a good customers house that had bought one and said his wife could still smell gas. He had checked everything with his Tif 8800 and found no more leaks. I brought in the new Leakator(brand new at the time) and found seven gas leaks the Tif couldn't pick up.

From what I have seen more recently the Tif has been improved but the Leakator is still the better choice.

[hvac5646]

Just bought (12) leakator 10 units for some of my guys and have had great success.. My old school tif 8800 ( I think is the model) also works very well. Bought a few infinicon units but they do not seem solid IMO Just my .02

I still have the 8800 that Uncle Clover gave me...I see no need to replace it either.

[Jim Davis]

I still have the 8800 that Uncle Clover gave me...I see no need to replace it either.

Until it gets too expensive to repair, I wouldn't replace it either. Beats the heck out of none!

[kangaroogod]

Me and couple other supervisors at work did a leak search in our lab. We were testing out different detectors to see what we should purchase. I used my 8800 and the other guys used a leakator and a infinicon. I missed 1 leak but found one that another didn't find and another supervisor had the same thing. I found a leak that would not bubble but to this day I swear is a leak. They were all pretty consistent. All of the detectors went nuts with the soap solution and monster pipe dope. A lesser quality pipe dope was not as noticeable. A day after we tested and soaped fittings we returned to find an additional leak that none of the detectors found and came to the conclusion that the soap solution loosened up the pipe dope and created a small leak. We concluded that any soap solution that us nonfreezing will off gas and cause the detector to give a reading.... I have instructed all installers and service techs to use the electronic on all fittings that are existing and to soap all new work as the pipe dope will provide false positives and to soap those fittings. I also ordered (3) Bacharach informant "2" units and they seem to be very good BUT they use interchangeable tips for refrigerants and I am afraid someone is going to be in a hurry and forget to change the sensor.

[ga-hvac-tech]

Curious thought: Technique of using the leak detector (or N/gas sniffer):

Should we discuss technique of looking for leaks?