Bacharach Leakator 10 User Manual

LEAKATOR® 10

INSTRUCTION 19-9167

COMBUSTIBLE GAS DETECTOR

Part No. 19-7051

Rev. 10 – May 2002

COMBUSTIBLE GASES

Power

Fail

Low Bat.

G a i n

O f f

_

621 Hunt Valley Circle, New Kensington, PA 15068

Bacharach, Inc.

Ph: 724-334-5000 • Fax: [phone] • Toll Free: 800-736-4666

Website: www.bacharach-inc.com • E-mail: [e-mail]

Printed in U.S.A. ® Registered Trademarks

WARRANTY

Bacharach, Inc. warrants to Buyer that at the time of delivery
this Product will be free from defects in material and manufac­ture and will conform substantially to Bacharach Inc.’s ap­plicable specifications. Bacharach’s liability and Buyer’s remedy
under this warranty are limited to the repair or replacement, at
Bacharach’s option, of this Product or parts thereof returned to
Seller at the factory of manufacture and shown to Bacharach
Inc.’s reasonable satisfaction to have been defective; provided
that written notice of the defect shall have been given by Buyer
to Bacharach Inc. within one (1) year after the date of delivery of
this Product by Bacharach, Inc.

Bacharach, Inc. warrants to Buyer that it will convey good title
to this Product. Bacharach’s liability and Buyer’s remedy under
this warranty of title are limited to the removal of any title
defects or, at the election of Bacharach, to the replacement of this
Product or parts thereof that are defective in title.

THE FOREGOING WARRANTIES ARE EXCLUSIVE AND
ARE GIVEN AND ACCEPTED IN LIEU OF (I) ANY AND ALL
OTHER WARRANTIES, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING
WITHOUT LIMITATION THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF
MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR
PURPOSE: AND (II) ANY OBLIGATION, LIABILITY, RIGHT,
CLAIM OR REMEDY IN CONTRACT OR TORT, WHETHER
OR NOT ARISING FROM BACHARACH’S NEGLIGENCE,
ACTUAL OR IMPLIED. The remedies of the Buyer shall be
limited to those provided herein to the exclusion of any and all
other remedies including, without limitation incidental or
consequential damages. No agreement varying or extending the
foregoing warranties, remedies or this limitation will be binding
upon Bacharach, Inc. unless in writing, signed by a duly
authorized officer of Bacharach.

Copyright © 1994 by Bacharach, Inc.

A

Leakator 10

Regulatory Information (Europe)

Declaration of Conformity

Manufacturer’s name: Bacharach, Inc.
Manufacturer’s address: 621 Hunt Valley Circle

New Kensington, PA 15068

European Operations: Bacharach Europe

Sovereign House, Queensway
Leamington Spa
Warwickshire CV31 3JR
England

Product name: Leakator® 10

conforms to the following product
specifications:

EMC: European Directive 89/336/EEC

EN 50081-1 (Emissions)
EN 50082-1 (Immunity)

WARNING!

Because this instrument is used to detect and monitor materials and
conditions which are listed by OSHA or others as potentially hazardous
to personnel and property, the information in this manual must be fully
understood and utilized to ensure that the instrument is operating
properly and is both used and maintained in the proper manner by
qualified personnel. An instrument that is not properly calibrated,
operated and maintained by qualified personnel is likely to provide
erroneous information, which could prevent user awareness of a poten­tially hazardous situation for the instrument user, other personnel and
property.

If, after reading the information in this manual, the user has questions
regarding the operation, application or maintenance of the instrument,
supervisory or training assistance should be obtained before use.
Factory assistance is available by calling 724-334-5000.

Instruction 19-9167

i

Leakator 10

CONTENTS

Page

1.0 INTRODUCTION ............................................................1

2.0 TECHNICAL CHARACTERISTICS ..............................3

3.0 BATTERY INSTALLATION ..........................................5

4.0 OPERATION ................................................................... 6

4.1 Turning ON the Instrument ...............................6

4.2 Taking a Gas Reading .........................................6

4.3 Using the Earphone ............................................8

4.4 Turning OFF the Instrument .............................8

5.0 MAINTENANCE .............................................................9

5.1 Replacing the Sensor ...........................................9

5.2 Replacing the Printed Circuit Board .............. 12

5.3 Replacing the Speaker ..................................... 13

5.4 Replacing the Flexible Probe Assembly .......... 14

6.0 TROUBLESHOOTING ................................................ 16

7.0 PARTS/SERVICE ......................................................... 17

7.1 Parts List .......................................................... 17

7.2 Bacharach Sales/Service Centers .................... 20

Instruction 19-9167ii

IntroductionLeakator 10

1.0 INTRODUCTION

The Leakator 10 is an intrinsically safe, battery-powered
portable instrument designed to primarily detect the source of
combustible-gas leaks. The instrument is ideally suited for
heating service contractors, utility personnel, and other users
who are interested in pinpointing gas leaks, and testing gas
appliances in residential, commercial and industrial installa­tions.

The instrument is supplied with a durable plastic carrying
case, 20" probe and instruction manual.

The Leakator 10 features:

• Ten bright-red LEDs and a speaker that provide both a

visual and audible indication to the presence of gas.

Figure 1. Leakator 10 and Accessories

Instruction 19-9167

1

Introduction

Leakator 10

• Three operation-status LEDs that show power on, sensor

operation, and low battery.

• A 20-inch flexible probe.

• Simple thumb wheel on/off and gain control allowing one-

handed operation.

• A solid-state sensor that has a typical life of 5 years.

• A battery capacity of 30 hours under normal use conditions.

• The ability to detect natural gas (methane) in concentrations

as low as 20 ppm. In addition, the following gases and vapors
are also detectable:

Acetone
Acetylene
Ammonia
Benzene
Butane

Ethanol
Ethylene Oxide
Gasoline
Hexane
Hydrogen

Industrial Solvents
Paint Thinners
Propane
Naphtha

WARNINGS!

For safety reasons, the Leakator 10 must only be operated
and serviced by qualified personnel. Read and under­stand the contents of this instruction manual before
operating or servicing.

To prevent ignition of a hazardous atmosphere, do not
perform any maintenance work, such as replacing the
instrument’s batteries, sensor, or sensor-matching resis­tor, in an area classified as being hazardous.

2

Instruction 19-9167

Leakator 10

Technical Characteristics

2.0 TECHNICAL CHARACTERISTICS

Power ..............................Five C-size Alkaline Batteries.

Battery Life .................... Approximately 30 hours of con-

tinuous operation under normal­use conditions.

Sensor:

Type ............................Solid State, plug-in replacement.

Life Expectancy ........ Typically 5 years.

Calibration ................ No user calibration required.

Probe ............................... Self storing 20" (51 cm) flexible

probe, includes integral sensor.

Response Time ............... Less than 3 seconds to full scale

indication.

Sensitivity ...................... 20 ppm Methane.

Warm-Up Time ............... Approximately 10 seconds.

Duty Cycle ......................Continuous with no limitation.

Gas Indication ................ Visual: 10 red ultra-bright LEDs.

Audible: Variable speed ticking
sound (earphone provided for use
in noisy environments).

Status LEDs .................... Power On (green)

Sensor Failure (yellow)
Low Battery (yellow)

Instruction 19-9167

3

Technical Characteristics

Leakator 10

Weight .............................17.8 oz (0.5 kg) (w/o batteries)

Dimensions: .................... 8.5" x 2.25" x 1.75"

(21.6 x 5.7 x 4.4 cm)

Operating
Environment:

Position ......................Any

Temperature ............. 23° to 130°F (–5° to 54°C)

Humidity .................... 10% to 90% RH, non-condensing

Safety Approvals ............ UL Classified, Intrinsically Safe

for use in Class I, Division 1,
Groups A, B, C and D. CE Mark.

4

Instruction 19-9167

Leakator 10

Battery Installation

3.0 BATTERY INSTALLATION

WARNING!

Do not replace batteries in a hazardous area.

CAUTION:

To maintain agency approval, use only
NEDA-14A type batteries or equivalent.

Remove battery cover. Install five (non-rechargeable) 1.5V
C-size alkaline batteries per Figure 2 – observe proper polar­ity. Then reinstall battery cover.

Instruction 19-9167

Figure 2. Battery Installation

5

Operation

Leakator 10

4.0 OPERATION

4.1 Turning ON the Instrument

Turn ON the instrument by rotating its thumb-wheel switch
(Fig 3) clockwise until a click is heard. Observe the following:

• The Power LED lights.

• The Fail LED will light, but should turn off in a few sec-

onds if the sensor is good and properly seated in its
socket.

• If the Low Bat. LED is on, replace the batteries per Sec-

tion 3.0 Battery Installation.

After the instrument stabilizes, rotate the Gain control in the
direction necessary to cause the bottom Gas Level LED to just
turn off. Be sure to always set this control in the same
environment you intend to test in.

The instrument is now ready for use.

4.2 Taking a Gas Reading

To verify that the instrument is operating, sample a known
combustible gas (e.g., a gas-air mixture from an unlit burner
of a natural-gas range). If no response is observed or heard,
refer to Section 6.0 Troubleshooting.

Important! The sensor becomes less sensitive
after being exposed to an excessive amount of
gas. Therefore, after testing the instrument as
described above, leave it on for several minutes
to restabilize the sensor.

6

Instruction 19-9167

Leakator 10

Operation

SENSOR

20"

EARPHONE
JACK

POWER ON

SENSOR FAILURE

LOW BATTERY

ON/OFF SWITCH &
GAIN CONTROL

COMBUSTIBLE GASES

Power

Fail

Low Bat.

Gain

Off



GAS
LEVEL

Figure 3. Jack, Control, and Indicators

Instruction 19-9167

7

Operation

Leakator 10

Take a gas reading by positioning the end of the instrument’s
flexible probe near the area to be sampled.

The presence of a combustible gas is indicated by a column of
ten red LEDs and a speaker. The number of lighted LEDs
gives visual indication of the relative gas level, while the
speaker produces clicking sounds, similar to a Geiger counter,
that increase in repetition rate as the gas concentration goes
up in relation to the instrument’s gain setting.

The instrument’s sensitivity to gas concentrations is adjusted
by means of its thumb-wheel Gain control. Clockwise rotation
increases sensitivity, while counterclockwise rotation de­creases sensitivity. The Gain control is useful in pinpointing
large leaks by starting with the control set to light 1 or 2 LEDs,
and then gradually rotating the control counterclockwise as
the probe gets closer to the leak.

4.3 Using the Earphone

The earphone is an optional accessory that provides private
monitoring of the Leakator 10, and is recommended for use in
high-noise environments. The earphone plugs into the side of
the instrument, just above the thumb-wheel control.

4.4 Turning OFF the Instrument

Turn OFF the instrument by rotating the thumb-wheel con­trol counterclockwise until a click is heard. There is no need
to purge the instrument with fresh air before turning it off.

8

Instruction 19-9167

Leakator 10

Maintenance

5.0 MAINTENANCE

WARNING!

Do not replace the batteries, sensor, or sensor
matching resistor in a hazardous area.

Since the Leakator 10 does not require calibration at regular
intervals, very little needs to be done to maintain the instru­ment in working order.

If the instrument has not been used for more than 3 months,
you may wish to turn it on and let it run in fresh air for several
minutes to keep the sensor at peak sensitivity.

If a problem should occur with your instrument, refer to
Section 6.0 Troubleshooting.

Detailed procedures of how to replace the sensor and other
components in the instrument are provided below.

5.1 Replacing the Sensor

Replacement sensors are classified at the factory according to
sensitivity, and are shipped with a matching resistor that
ensures the sensor will function properly when installed in
your instrument. It is important that the sensor and its
resistor be used together – DO NOT intermix resistors and
sensors.

Items required:

• Small and medium flat-blade screwdrivers

• Wire cutter

• Replacement sensor with matching resistor (P/N 19-0398)

Instruction 19-9167

9

Maintenance

Leakator 10

Procedure:

1. Turn OFF instrument.

2. Pry sensor out of its socket using a small flat-blade screw­driver (Fig 4) and discard.

3. Remove battery cover.

4. Remove old matching resistor (Fig 5) and discard.

5. Locate new sensor’s matching resistor; then cut and bend
the resistor leads using the forms that are molded into the
battery cover (Fig 6). Note that If the resistor leads are cut

too short, the instrument may not function.

6. Insert new matching resistor into printed circuit board,
and plug new sensor into socket at end of probe. Notice that

the sensor’s six pins and the socket are symmetrical and not
keyed, thus permitting the sensor to be plugged in two ways.
The socket, however, is wired so that it doesn’t matter which
way the sensor is installed.

7. Install battery cover.

8. Test instrument response (refer to Section 4.2).

Pry sensor from its socket
using a small flat-blade
screwdriver inserted
through access hole.

Figure 4. Removing Sensor

10

Instruction 19-9167

Leakator 10

FORM

CLIP
(2 ENDS)

CAUTION:

Use Only C-Size 1.5 x 5

NEDA 14A or Equivalent

Cut Matching Resistor
leads to correct length by
inserting each lead into
form as shown and cutting
here.

NOTE:

The plastic clip
guide length represents the
minimum lead length. If the
resistor leads are cut too
short, the instrument may
not function.
Optimum lead length is
11/16".

After cutting resistor leads,
use this form to bend leads
as shown.

MATCHING
RESISTOR

Maintenance

Figure 5. Location of Matching Resistor

Figure 6. Cutting and Bending Resistor Leads using Forms

Molded into Battery Cover

Instruction 19-9167

11

Maintenance

Leakator 10

5.2 Replacing the Printed Circuit Board

Items required:

• Medium flat-blade screwdriver

• Medium Phillips screwdriver

• Replacement printed circuit board (P/N 19-0418)

Procedure:
(See Figure 7)

1. Turn OFF instrument and lay it face down on work area.

2. Remove battery cover and batteries.

3. Remove sensor-matching resistor.

4. Remove four screws securing rear case.

5. Carefully lift rear case and flexible arm assembly away
from instrument, being careful not to pull wires attached to
printed circuit board. Lay rear case face down on work area.

6. Carefully remove printed circuit board from front case.

7. Unplug connectors J2 and J3 from printed circuit board.

8. Plug connectors J2 and J3 into new printed circuit board;
then install board into front case.

9. Install flexible arm assembly and rear case using the
screws that were removed in Step 4.

10. Replace sensor-matching resistor.

11. Replace batteries and battery cover.

12. Test instrument response (refer to Section 4.2).

12

Instruction 19-9167

Leakator 10

Maintenance

5.3 Replacing the Speaker

Items required:

• Medium flat-blade screwdriver

• Medium Phillips screwdriver

•11/32" Nut driver

• Replacement speaker (P/N 19-0400)

Procedure:
(See Figure 7)

1. Turn OFF instrument; then remove battery cover and
batteries.

2. Remove sensor-matching resistor.

3. Remove four screws securing rear case; then carefully lift
rear case and flexible arm assembly away from instrument,
being careful not to pull wires attached to printed circuit
board. Lay rear case face down on work area.

4. Carefully remove printed circuit board from front case;
then unplug speaker connector J2 from printed circuit board.

5. Remove two nuts and washers securing speaker to rear
case; then remove speaker.

6. Install new speaker and secure in place using the nuts and
washers that were removed in Step 5. CAUTION! Do not

overtighten the nuts!

7. Replace flexible arm assembly and rear case using the
screws that were removed in Step 3.

8. Replace sensor-matching resistor.

9. Replace batteries and battery cover.

10. Test instrument response (refer Section 4.2).

Instruction 19-9167

13

Maintenance

Leakator 10

5.4 Replacing the Flexible Probe Assembly

Items required:

• Medium flat-blade screwdriver

• Medium Phillips screwdriver

• Replacement flexible probe assembly (P/N 19-3091)

Procedure:
(See Figure 7)

1. Turn OFF instrument and lay it face down on work area.

2. Remove battery cover and batteries.

3. Remove sensor-matching resistor.

4. Remove four screws securing rear case.

5. Carefully lift rear case and flexible arm assembly away
from instrument, being careful not to pull wires attached to
printed circuit board. Lay rear case face down on work area.

6. Carefully remove printed circuit board from front case.

7. Unplug sensor connector J3 from printed circuit board.

8. Remove flexible probe assembly and remove sensor.

9. Plug connector on new flexible probe assembly into printed
circuit board connector J3.

14

Instruction 19-9167

Leakator 10

Maintenance

10. Replace printed circuit board, new flexible probe assem-

bly, and rear case using the screws that were removed in
Step 4.

11. Replace sensor.

12. Replace sensor-matching resistor.

13. Replace batteries and battery cover.

14. Test instrument response (refer to Section 4.2).

Instruction 19-9167

15

Troubleshooting

Leakator 10

6.0 TROUBLESHOOTING

WARNING!

Do not perform any maintenance work in a
hazardous area.

Because of the Leakator 10’s advanced design, trouble with
the instrument can usually be diagnosed by looking at the
LEDs as seen through the front-case. See Figure 3.

If the Fail LED lights, check that the sensor is seated and J3
is connected to the printed circuit board. If still no change,
replace the sensor per Section 5-1 Replacing the Sensor.

If the Low-Bat. LED lights, replace the batteries per Sec­tion 3.0 as soon as possible. The instrument should operate,
however, for several hours before the batteries go dead.

If the instrument doesn’t respond to a combustible gas, per­form the following in the order presented until the problem is
corrected:

- First ensure that all connectors are securely in place on the

printed circuit board, and that the sensor is firmly seated
into its socket.

- Replace sensor, even though the Sensor-Fail LED isn’t on,

per Section 5.1 Replacing the Sensor.

- Replace circuit board per Section 5.2 Replacing the Printed

Circuit Board.

16

Instruction 19-9167

Leakator 10

Parts & Service

7.0 PARTS/SERVICE

7.1 Parts List

Replacement Parts (See Fig 7)

Item Description Part No.

1 Battery Cover (2 Screws)* 19-0405
2 Nut, Palnut Fastner 102-3736
3 Flexible Probe Assembly (4 Wire)** 19-3091
4 Front Case 19-0392
5 Printed Circuit Board Assembly 19-0418
6 Rear Case 19-0449
7 Replacement Sensor with

Matching Resistor*** 19-0398
8 Screw, #4-20 x ¾ thd. forming 102-1976
9 Speaker Assembly 19-0400

10 Washer, #10 Plain 02-4140
11 Wrist Strap 19-0443

--- Instruction Manual 19-9167

* Call factory if your battery cover has only 1 screw.

** Call factory if your probe assembly has 3 wires.

*** Available only as a matched set.

Accessories

Description Part No.

Carrying Case 19-0397
Earphone 04-9910

Instruction 19-9167

17

Parts & Service

Leakator 10

1

8

10

2

8

10

2

7

6

9

3

8

11

5

(See Fig. 7 Sheet 2)

4

7

FRONT OF

INSTRUMENT

Figure 7. Leakator 10 Part Locations (Sheet 1 of 2)

18

Instruction 19-9167

Leakator 10

J1
EARPHONE
JACK

Parts & Service

J3
PROBE
CONNECTOR

J2
SPEAKER
CONNECTOR

MATCHING
RESISTOR
(Located on
opposite side
of board)

Figure 7. Leakator 10 Part Locations (Sheet 2 of 2)

Instruction 19-9167

19

Parts & Service

7.2 Bacharach Sales/Service Centers

Leakator 10

California

7281 Garden Grove Blvd.,
Suite H
Garden Grove, CA 92841
Phone: [phone]
Fax: [phone]
E-mail: calservice@bacharach­inc.com

Indiana

8618 Louisiana Place
Merrillville, IN 46410
Phone: [phone]
Fax: [phone]
E-mail: indservice@bacharach­inc.com

New Jersey

7300 Industrial Park
Rte. 130, Bldg. 22
Pennsauken, NJ 08110
Phone: [phone]
Fax: [phone]
E-mail: njservice@bacharach­inc.com

Pennsylvania

621 Hunt Valley Circle
New Kensington, PA 15068
Phone: [phone]
Fax: [phone]
E-mail: [e-mail]

Texas

5151 Mitchelldale, B-4
Houston, TX 77092
Phone: [phone]
Fax: [phone]
E-mail: txservice@bacharach­inc.com

Canada

Bacharach of Canada
151 Bentley Street Unit #6
Markham, Ontario L3R 3X9
Canada
Phone: [phone]
Fax: [phone]
E-mail: [e-mail]

México

Bacharach de México
Playa Regatas No. 473 Tercer Piso
Col. Militar Marte
Delegación Iztacalco, 08830
México D.F.
México
Phones: 011-5255-5634-7740

011-5255-5634-7741
FAX: [phone]
E-mail:
[e-mail]

Denmark

Bacharach Instruments
P.O. Box 44
39 Lindegade
DK 6070 Christiansfeld
Denmark
Phone: [phone]
Fax: [phone]
E-mail: [e-mail]

Europe

Bacharach Instruments
Sovereign House, Queensway
Leamington Spa
Warwickshire CV31 3JR
England
Phone: [phone]
Fax: [phone]

20

Instruction 19-9167