Common Methods For Refrigerant Leak Detection

This article mainly introduces the methods that can be used to check for leakage when using refrigerants.
Visual leak detection
When oil stains are found somewhere in the system, this may be a leakage point.
Visual leak detection is simple and cost-effective, but it has significant drawbacks. Unless the system suddenly breaks at a large leak point and the system leaks liquid colored media, visual leak detection cannot be located.
Soap water leak detection
Fill the system with 10-20kg/cm2 of pressure nitrogen gas, and then apply soapy water to all parts of the system. The bubbling point is the leakage point. This method is currently a very common leak detection method in roadside repair shops, but the human arm is limited, the range of vision is limited, and many times the leak point is not visible at all.
Nitrogen water leak detection
Fill the system with 10-20kg/cm2 of pressure nitrogen gas, immerse the system in water, and the bubbling point is the leakage point. This method is essentially the same as the previous soap water leak detection method. Although it has low cost, it has obvious drawbacks: the water used for leak detection is easy to enter the system, causing corrosion of the materials inside the system. At the same time, high-pressure gas may also cause greater damage to the system, and the labor intensity during leak detection is also high, which increases the cost of maintenance and repair.
Halogen lamp leak detection
Ignite the leak detection lamp and hold the air tube on the halogen lamp. When the nozzle is close to the system leakage, the flame color changes to purple blue, indicating a large amount of leakage here. This method involves the generation of open flames, which are not only very dangerous, but also produce harmful gases when combined with the refrigerant. Additionally, it is not easy to accurately locate the leak point. So this method is almost unused now, and if you can see it, it may be in the stage of uncivilized society.
Gas differential pressure leak detection
Utilize the pressure difference inside and outside the system, amplify the pressure difference through sensors, and express the leak detection results in digital, audio, or electronic signals. This method can only qualitatively determine whether the system is leaking and cannot accurately locate the leak point.