Ultrasonic Leak Detector Detailed Info/Video

[itsiceman]

I recently purchased the same one that you have from Truetech Tools for $785. My initial unboxing impression was that this is a remarkably cheaply made tool for what it sells for. The case says "gun case" on it and probably sells for $5 in Walmart. The head phones have a ridiculous long wire for the application. As the wire touches things it causes a noise to be emitted though the headphones. For what this kit costs it is ridiculous that the headphones are not Bluetooth.

The warranty is only good for 30 days. Seriously this has to be the worst warranty of any toolmaker in our industry.

OK so that aside how did it work for me: I used it on a coil with a known small leak. The coil was wet. I was able to find the leak but it took much longer than with my electronics. I had to turn the sensitivity up to max and only got a very faint hit. Even the manufacture admits that this tool is far less sensitive to small refrigerant leaks than an electronic. I also tried to find leaks in my air compressor set up that I know has significant leaks. I could not find any. I really wanted to like this tool but, I have found it to be very disappointing. Perhaps I should have kept it longer and tried harder to get past the learning curve but, I was really turned off by the cheapness of the tool and short 30 day warranty at a $785 price tag.

So in my limited experience this is a cheaply made tool that probably could be useful in certain circumstances but it is over priced and for most applications under preforms some of the better and less expensive electronic leak detectors.

I got an RMA from TTT and sent it back. They told me that they will bench test it and that there "may" be a 20% restocking fee. caveat emptor

The long headphone wire...
Did your headphones look like the ones in the video with the curly q cord?

[m singer]

The long headphone wire...
Did your headphones look like the ones in the video with the curly q cord?

They looked like the ones in the video with a q cord.

[m singer]

Made in china vs made in the USA?
No thanks.

I respect your choice on that. As for me I want the best product for the best price. My iPhone is arguably the highest quality product that I own and noting comparable is made here.

[itsiceman]

They looked like the ones in the video with a q cord.

Maybe I have a longer reach but I don't have a issue with the length. BT would be nice though but then you need more batteries to maintain.

[m singer]

Maybe I have a longer reach but I don't have a issue with the length. BT would be nice though but then you need more batteries to maintain.

My issue was not that the reach wasn't long enough. It was that there was a sloppy amount of excess cord. You could probably stretch the cord 15 feet.

After a year of using my Fieldpiece probes I replaced the batteries proactively. They were still good in all 6 probes. I don't think adding Bluetooth headphones would cause any issues and there is no reason why they could not also have the 3mm jack for non Bluetooth headphones as well. Well that is no reason other than this expensive tool was made with cost cutting in mind.

[itsiceman]

I never though you would want to stretch out the cord.
I would want to work with it if there was pulling or stretching to cord.

[JayMan7]

My issue was not that the reach wasn't long enough. It was that there was a sloppy amount of excess cord. You could probably stretch the cord 15 feet.

After a year of using my Fieldpiece probes I replaced the batteries proactively. They were still good in all 6 probes. I don't think adding Bluetooth headphones would cause any issues and there is no reason why they could not also have the 3mm jack for non Bluetooth headphones as well. Well that is no reason other than this expensive tool was made with cost cutting in mind.

I know that all audiophiles say bluetooth reduces quality even in the best headphones. Would that reduction be significant, idk, but maybe that affected their decision. I kinda like corded headphones though. They are always ready to go.

For the price they could have added some things like including a transmitter and more attachments for bearings and stuff.

[Hurst11]

Nice. That removed all doubts that I want one.

Sent from the Okie state usin Tapatalk
"Is this before or after you fired the parts cannon at it?" - senior tech

I pretty much said the same thing in the comments lol

[m singer]

I know that all audiophiles say bluetooth reduces quality even in the best headphones. Would that reduction be significant, idk, but maybe that affected their decision. I kinda like corded headphones though. They are always ready to go.

For the price they could have added some things like including a transmitter and more attachments for bearings and stuff.

I extremely doubt that any audio quality degradation resulting from Bluetooth would be of any consequence at all. In this application we are simply trying to determine if there is or is not an ultrasonic sound. Certainly the sound resulting from the chord touching surfaces is a much greater degradation to the use of the tool. I think the more obvious reason is so that an already cheaply made package can be brought to market even cheaper.

We disagree on much, with regards to this tool, but we "seem" to agree that we should expect more for the price?

[JayMan7]

I extremely doubt that any audio quality degradation resulting from Bluetooth would be of any consequence at all. In this application we are simply trying to determine if there is or is not an ultrasonic sound. Certainly the sound resulting from the chord touching surfaces is a much greater degradation to the use of the tool. I think the more obvious reason is so that an already cheaply made package can be brought to market even cheaper.

We disagree on much, with regards to this tool, but we "seem" to agree that we should expect more for the price?

Yes that’s a fair point!

[itsiceman]

Was using mine yesterday holding the detector out and maybe a foot of headphone cable could come off but I also set the detector down on a shelf and bent down to grab something off the floor and there was enough cord for that so I still think the headphone cord length is fine where it's at.
At this small kitchen the detector was unusable with the fluorescent lights. Funny thing was when I turned off the lights some electrical noise got even louder. Was a weird noise I never heard before.

[R600a]

Funny thing was when I turned off the lights some electrical noise got even louder. Was a weird noise I never heard before.

That was the leak you missed.

Sent from the Okie state usin Tapatalk
"Is this before or after you fired the parts cannon at it?" - senior tech

[JayMan7]

That was the leak you missed.

Sent from the Okie state usin Tapatalk
"Is this before or after you fired the parts cannon at it?" - senior tech

that’s happened to me. The leak was totally inaudible but was actually making such a loud ultrasonic noise I didn’t realize it was the leak.

[Wheelbaron]

I have a Inficon Whisper. I got it because we had a leak we suspected was in a lineset inside a wall. And yes it worked like a charm, I was able to pinpoint a leak behind 2 layers of drywall by going over the area multiple times and narrowing my grid down to about a 6" area. Cut out a 1 foot square of drywall, and there it was, trim nail in my suction line. My sniffer only could pick up that there was a leak someplace in the hallway.

[JayMan7]

I have a Inficon Whisper. I got it because we had a leak we suspected was in a lineset inside a wall. And yes it worked like a charm, I was able to pinpoint a leak behind 2 layers of drywall by going over the area multiple times and narrowing my grid down to about a 6" area. Cut out a 1 foot square of drywall, and there it was, trim nail in my suction line. My sniffer only could pick up that there was a leak someplace in the hallway.

Wow that’s awesome! That’s another big reason I like ultrasonic. They can be used through walls and from a distance!

[corny]

I have an amprobe brand ultrasonic. Usually just use it to pinpoint a leak. Or not so much pinpoint..

I had a condenser a while back.. I could have sworn the leak was the bottom of the accumulator… but it wasn’t rusty or anything.. not an old unit either. But my info on kept going off strong anywhere in the bottom of the unit but especially around the accumulator.

Got my ultrasonic out and was running it up under the accumulator and it was picking up but like in one direction only. Started fanning it around the unit and the leak was actually in the bottom of the condenser coil… guess it was spewing the refrigerant out good enough thwt it was collecting around the accumulator.

[JayMan7]

I have an amprobe brand ultrasonic. Usually just use it to pinpoint a leak. Or not so much pinpoint..

I had a condenser a while back.. I could have sworn the leak was the bottom of the accumulator… but it wasn’t rusty or anything.. not an old unit either. But my info on kept going off strong anywhere in the bottom of the unit but especially around the accumulator.

Got my ultrasonic out and was running it up under the accumulator and it was picking up but like in one direction only. Started fanning it around the unit and the leak was actually in the bottom of the condenser coil… guess it was spewing the refrigerant out good enough thwt it was collecting around the accumulator.

Hmmm that’s another good point about it being able to pinpoint leaks that a sniffer would get confused on!

[slctech]

I learned early on about using ultra-sonics to locate a location of a leak in obscure areas. I was with a plumbing outfit running their HVAC side and they would use ultrasonic to locate water leaks in walls. Water is a fluid, just like refrigerant, air, etc. When it is leaking from a pipe it will often make the same noise.

How they were using it was usually pumping the offending line with air to find a known leak behind finished walls, above finished sealings, or under floors. The ones they had and the one I purchased back in the early 2000's had multiple fittings that would clip around the sniffer of the device. One was a long tube, maybe 1/4" in diameter. You would drill small holes between wall studs, floor or ceiling joist and insert that into that space and listen. This assisted with determining where the leak was without tearing down large portions, just maybe a small section of wall. To me at the time it was pretty ingenious and I later figured out how to use it in my industry from watching them.

This was in the era where CSST gas piping became really big in my area, newest and greatest thing, for a long time every new home during the housing boom of the mid 2000's was all piped with this crap, even mine. Watching the plumbers using it I learned the ultrasonic leak detector unbelievable in locating gas leaks in finished homes after other trades with cabinets, molding, etc had gone through, or when new HO's would knock a nail through one, and most obviously after a lightning strikes and finding pin hole ruptures. I

The smell was obvious, thus the call from the HO or GC. I would disconnect the meter valve off the appliances and pressurize the gas piping to 20psi drill holes in a known wall with CSST running through in one of the stud spaces. Stick the ultrasonic tip in each stud space and could hear it and focus on which stud space it was the loudest. The ultrasonic I had also had a parabolic attachement. Throw that on and now listen through the wall for the exact location or locations (if lightning) and could do minimal cutting.

Same during new construction when I returned to a home to do a HVAC finish, you know, throw a condenser unit on, thermostat, finish grilles, and do a start-up. Nothing worse that sinking feeling that your nitrogen test was not holding and the leaky leaky not at the evap or condenser. Most times I would see this with an attic system where the lineset running up through a wall from the ground level. Usually ended up being a cabinet, dry-wall, or moulding guy that unintentionally would tag the lineset with a nail or brad. Again, I would pump that nitrogen to 200psi and set the regulator. In the known where the lineset was in a wall I would drill small holes in a few stud spaces and go to listening. No doubt which stud had the offending leak. Then there was that parabolic type attachment I would put on and slowly work my way up and down that stud space listening through the wall and could pin point the exact spot and do minimal drywall cutting to access and repair.

So Ultrasonics have there place in my career. I never had much success using it soley for leak refrigerant leak detection. Most leaks are so small and many times, once in commercial, you are on windy roofs, a lot of noise pollution from other equipment, mechanical rooms with blowers. And if your dealing with mechanical rooms with pumps, pneumatics, drives, etc. An ultrasonic is nearly useless. Where the good old BigBlue soap spray comes out and alot of patiece with a sniffer come to play.

Still own mine, probably 2010 or 2011 since I last used it, Amprobe, was the manufacture of mine.

[slctech]

Will add, that the device that generates noise, we called it the "pinger" from those U-boat movies, works very well for finding room leaks basement leaks/seepage, and sewer leaks in a home or building. The plumbing company I was with back in the very early 2000's would dry out a sewer and place this in the line and could listen externally for noise leaks. Place it in an attic and listen from the roof to find leaks. I was thinking one could throw it in duct work and could looke for duct leakage, but never tried or owned the pinger. So maybe it would work for that purpose?

[JayMan7]

Will add, that the device that generates noise, we called it the "pinger" from those U-boat movies, works very well for finding room leaks basement leaks/seepage, and sewer leaks in a home or building. The plumbing company I was with back in the very early 2000's would dry out a sewer and place this in the line and could listen externally for noise leaks. Place it in an attic and listen from the roof to find leaks. I was thinking one could throw it in duct work and could looke for duct leakage, but never tried or owned the pinger. So maybe it would work for that purpose?

Great idea on the pinger usage! I really do need to experiment more with using mine!