Leak Detector

[beaver]

Two HVAC Technicians have been out to repair my central A/C unit because it looses R-22 over time. Technician #1 "didn't have time to chase down a small leak" and simply added R-22 to the system, charged an arm and a leg and left. A month later it again needed R-22. A second technician from a different company came out and attempted to find the leak using an electronic leak detector. Every component he pointed it at indicated there was a leak. Then he pointed at the flowers in the garden, and he detected a Freon leak there too. The final straw was when the neighbor's dog came over, and, you guessed it, the instrument indicated that the dog was emitting Freon also. The technician found this extremely amusing, and then he added Freon, gave me his bill and left. Needless to say, I have had it with hiring someone to find the leak. I am now in the market for an electronic leak detector and need to know what to look for in selecting a leak detector. Any suggestions for any specific model which would be good for someone who won't be using it everyday would be helpful. The units I'm looking at range in price from $140 to $350 and most seem to have replacable tips. My hope is that I can invest my time in finding the leak and then have a technician repair whatever needs to be repaired. Any suggestions in selecting a good detector will be greatly appreciated.

[hiltontech]

Try soap and water in the meantime, just pour a little around your fittings, if you see bubbles you most likely to have a leak, I use both methods, detector and the soapy water., the soap and water works the same as you would be looking for a leak on a tire from your car., but you still need a detector to get in tight places.

HiltonTech

[mattison]

H-10, D-Tek, Bachrach Informant II.

[Grady]

I have an H-10 & really like it. One strange quirk about it though, spider webs set it in a fit. Almost like they are made of refrigerant. No one method of leak detection is perfect. I have found leaks with dye, nitrogen & soap bubbles, & the H-10 each when the other method(s) have failed to find the leak. Sometimes dye works best, other times it's pressure, still other times it is the electronic. You just gotta keep huntin'.