Essential Refrigeration Tools
There is a vast variety of refrigeration tools on the market today and like most of us you probably want all of them. Getting new tools is exciting, but can be costly if not careful. We should all have our basic hand tools, along with these must have refrigeration tools if you plan to work in field We have compiled a list of these must have tools that we carry on our trucks and tool bags. Continue reading below to see the usefulness and benefits.
This item allows us to troubleshoot the liquid line solenoid valve in a walk-in cooler or freezer. This tool will open the liquid line valve in the evaporator, when equipped, to see if the valve opens. If the solenoid coil has failed, this magnet can temporarily get a system back online until the solenoid coil is replaced. We wouldn’t advise it as a long term fix, but it can definitely buy you some time until you get the replacement part. Also, using this to open the liquid line valve during a new installation is valuable as well, since during many installations electricity may not be available. Opening the valve can help with leak checking and pulling a vacuum.
This is a super useful tool. In refrigeration equipment, many systems do not hold much refrigerant. Some only hold a few ounces, therefore when the need arises to check your pressures you don’t want to lose any refrigerant. Traditional manifold gauges can hold a few ounces of refrigerant which can affect your system charge. This is must item in the refrigeration world. They also fit nicely in tool bags. It is also recommend to have a low-loss (quick coupler) fitting connected to this tool. Click here to see the latest pricing and availability.
This is the low side gauge, this sister of the high side gauge above. This has the same usefulness and is a must have item. Neither the low side nor high side gauge comes with any protection so be sure you store them away somewhere properly. Click here to see the latest pricing and availability.
Low Loss (Quick Coupling) Fittings
These fittings connect to you gauge hoses or stubby gauges. They are great at stopping any refrigerant lost during the installation and removal of your refrigerant gauges or stubby gauges. Reducing the amount of refrigerant lost is a must when complying with environmental laws and dealing with systems with very little refrigerant charges. Also, reducing the risk of freeze burns on your fingers is always a plus. These items make it safer and efficient when connecting to a refrigeration system. Click here to see the latest pricing and availability.
Most of us have a least one angled and one straight coupling. You will need at least two for your gauge set, possibly four if you include your stubby gauges. Last word of advice, only use these on service ports with Schrader valve stems. Avoid using them on king valves, or any valves that do not have the valve stems. They are mainly designed for use with valve stems.
Another must have item if you want to open and close king valves or other similar valves in a refrigeration unit. Most all walk-in coolers and freezers and many other units have some sort of valve that requires this tool to open the refrigerant ports. It also comes with a hex bit, because many ports also utilize a hex port. These ratchet tool has four different sizes and will rotate clockwise and counter-clockwise. Click here to see the latest price and availability.
Fieldpiece SC420 Essential Clamp Multimeter
This is a must have in your tool bag. There are several brands on the market, but they are priced much higher than the fieldpiece. Many technicians like to brag about the Fluke or whatever brands and though they are good products, we have found that this puppy is reliable and gets the job done without breaking the bank. There is a fieldpiece that has been passed around from tech to tech over the last several years and it’s still going. This one does all of your standard measurements, voltage, amperage, resistance, continuity, capacitance, temperature, etc. We like the 500 microfarad range, since most start capacitors range from high 100’s to high 400’s in our line of work. It also has the magnet on the back. Anyhow, check it out if you still in the market. Click here to find out further details. Also in case someone one needs the operators manual, here is the link: operators manual – PDF.