I hear many techs complain about the finicky and ineffective nature of electronic leak detection—so much so that some claim that it is a waste of time altogether. We recently located a leak inside the fins of a ductless evaporator coil—pinpointed to an exact spot—using an electronic leak detector. For demonstration purposes, we took that […]

Every HVAC/R tech needs an electronic leak detector nowadays, and with HFC refrigerants getting more and more commonplace, every HVAC/R tech needs a VERY sensitive electronic leak detector. We often see three types, but let's toss out the corona discharge leak detector right off the top. It just picks up too many other types of […]

This article is not a full lesson on making a flare, but it will give you some best practices to make a flare that doesn't leak. First off, we need to clarify that very few unitary manufacturers use flares anymore. You will most often find flares on ductless and VRF/VRV systems and in refrigeration. A […]