What Kind of Refrigerant Leak Detector Is Suitable for You?
After decades of development, leak detectors have been continuously updated to meet the innovation of HVAC technology and the increasingly stringent environmental protection requirements of the industry.According to different detection methods, we roughly divide the leak detectors on the market into three categories:
- Corona Leak Detector
- Heated Diode Leak Detector
- Infrared Leak Detector
These refrigerant leak detectors are common on the market, but they are different in various aspects from sensitivity to detecting speed and price.
Corona Leak Detector
The corona leak detector primarily emerged in the 1970s and 1980s., Its appearance is a significant advancement in leak detection technology. This type of detector uses a corona discharge to ionize the surrounding air, allowing it to detect refrigerants by measuring electrical changes. It is effective for a broad range of refrigerants, including CFCs, HCFCs, and HFCs.
Compared with previous leak detectors, it has a great performance in sensitivity and detecting low concentrations of refrigerants and was widely popular among HVAC technicians at that time. To this day, there are still many HVAC technicians who are keen on using corona leak detectors. I think this is not only because of its low price, but also because of their trust in it.
Though corona leak detectors are effective most time, it has strict requirements for environmental conditions, easily affected by humidity, temperature, and the presence of other gases. These factors may lead to false positives or negatives, reducing reliability.
Heated Diode Leak Detector
The heated diode leak detector was developed in the 1980s. It utilized a heated diode sensor to enhance the detection of halogenated refrigerants. When a refrigerant gas comes into contact with the semiconductor, it will heat up. The presence of the refrigerant changes the electrical conductivity of the diode, allowing for the detection of leaks
Diode leak detector has great performance in sensitivity and pinpoint a leak. You can move to the spot of the leak and hover over that point to detect very small leaks. And modern heated diode leak detectors are usually integrated with digital technology and provide features such as digital displays, data logging, and connectivity to mobile devices.
As regulations regarding refrigerant leaks become more stringent, heated diode detectors have become an essential tool for HVAC professionals to ensure compliance with environmental standards.
Heated diode leak detector also has it’s disadvantages:
- It is easy to be affected by other substances and generate false alarms.
- The sensor is easily affected by water and oil.
- The sensor has a limited life and needs to be replaced regularly.
Heated Diode Leak Detector
Infrared leak detector is the new generation leak detector.The sensor mainly uses the infrared detection principle. It is a leak detection method that uses the infrared principle to identify the presence and concentration of selected gases. The infrared light is emitted from the infrared transmitter and penetrates the sample gas. Because the infrared light is affected by the sample gas, the corresponding wavelength of the infrared light changes, and the change results are produced at the receiving output end. By controlling the optical filter, the infrared wavelength is controlled within a selected range to ensure the coverage of all selected gases. By calculating and analyzing the infrared receiver data, the interference data is filtered out and the leak point is accurately located.
Compared to the heated diode leak detectors, the sensors of infrared leak detectors usually have a much longer service life（nearly up to 10 year）. And they have stronger anti-interference ability.
As regulations regarding refrigerant leaks become more stringent, heated diode detectors have become an essential tool for HVAC professionals to ensure compliance with environmental standards.
As an experienced refrigerant leak detector manufacturer, we’d like to introduce 2 special models to you.
Elitech METRUM LEAK DETECTOR
Elitech METRUM refrigerant leak detector, provides accurate readings of refrigerant leaks, allowing technicians to assess the severity of the leak effectively.
Elitech IR-200 LEAK DETECTOR
Elitech IR-200 is a dual-sensor refrigerant leak detector,this advanced tool combines infrared and heated diode technologies, ensuring high sensitivity and accuracy in detecting refrigerant leaks.
The different leak detectors have their own advantages, you can choose the suitable one according to your real requirements.If you have any questions, please contact us for more suggestions.
