Fieldpiece SMAN2 User Manual

Fieldpiece

T1 T2

Atmospheric

Pressure

Superheat

Subcooling

T1 T2 Direct Saturation

Target
Superheat

CAL CAL

CAL CAL

Test

Pressure

AUTO
OFF

Refrigerant

ON/OFF

Enter

Units

Alarm

Digital Manifold + Vacuum Gauge

SMAN3

LOW HIGH

Digital Manifold &
Vacuum Gauge

OPERATOR'S MANUAL

Models SMAN2 SMAN3

SMAN3

T1 T2

CAL CAL

01

Digital Manifold + Vacuum Gauge

AUTO
OFF

Superheat

Subcooling

Alarm

T1 T2 Direct Saturation

CAL CAL

Atmospheric

Pressure

Refrigerant

Target
Superheat

Pressure

ON/OFF

Enter

Units

Test

Quick Start

1 Power on your SMAN by holding the ON/OFF

button for 1 second.

2 Select desired units (English or Metric) by

pressing the UNITS button (SMAN3) or hold-

ing the ENTER button for 1 second (SMAN2).
3 Connect hoses and pipe clamps to the system.
4 Press the circular button to select between

Actual Superheat and Subcooling, Target

Superheat, Direct Temperature Display (T1 T2

Direct) or Saturation Temperature Display.

Certifications

C-Tick (N22675)

CE

RoHS Compliant

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Description

Your SMAN is the portable digital refrigerant
manifold and vacuum gauge (SMAN3) for A/C
and refrigeration professionals. Your SMAN
combines high pressure manifold gauges, a
superheat/subcooling calculator, micron gauge
for vacuum (SMAN3), and dual temperature
measurements into one easy-to-use instrument.
Your SMAN calculates and displays target
superheat and actual superheat to ensure
proper charging of a unit. Your SMAN can
also display the liquid and vapor saturation
temperatures in Saturation mode to help you
trouble shoot your system.

Your SMAN is designed to meet the demands
of the HVAC/R professional with a ruggedized
rubber boot for durability, a strong metal
hanger for easy storage and a high quality,
water resistant nylon pouch. A bright blue
backlight and very large, easily viewable display
lets you see your measurements in any work
environment. SMAN has a very intuitive user
interface and extremely long battery life.

Your SMAN comes pre-programmed with
the most accurate P-T charts for 44 of the most
common refrigerants in the field so you are
always prepared for any job.

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Pressure (bar)
Pressure (pounds/in2)

Pressure (kilopascals or Megapascals)

Negative Pressure (inches of mercury)

Negative Pressure (cm of mercury)

Superheat T1 Direct

Vapor Saturation Temperature

Indoor Wet Bulb

Micron Reading Has Stabilized

Set Mode Alarm Mode

High Alarm Low Alarm

Vacuum (Microns of Mercury)

T1 thermocouple - T2 thermocouple

Target Superheat

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Pressure (bar)
Pressure (pounds/in2)

Pressure (kilopascals or Megapascals)

Negative Pressure (inches of mercury)

Negative Pressure (cm of mercury)

Subcooling T2 Direct

Liquid Saturation Temperature

Outdoor Dry Bulb

Vacuum Stopwatch

Hours:Minutes or Minutes:Seconds

Battery Life

Auto Power O Enabled

Selected Refrigerant of System

05

Controls

5

8

2

13

6

10

3

11

7

9

12

14

4

1 Insert K-type thermocouple plugs here.
2 Temperature calibration pots.
3 Press to zero atmospheric pressure.
4 Press to linear adjust pressure curve. (See

Advanced Pressure Calibration section.)

5 Press to engage backlight. Hold when

powering on to toggle Auto Power O.
6 Press/hold to cycle through refrigerants.
7 Hold 1 second to toggle power on/o.
8 Press up or down arrow to adjust values.
9 Press to confirm selection. For the

SMAN2, hold 1 second to adjust units.
10 Press to turn on/o the Hi/Lo vacuum alarms

11 Press to toggle through temperature tests.
12 Press to adjust units. (SMAN3)
13 Turn clockwise to close Low side port.
14 Turn clockwise to close High side port.

06

and hold to change alarm settings.

Functions

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2

Standard Pressure

1 Connect your SMAN to the system using EPA approved 1/4in

refrigerant hoses.

2 Read pressures directly from the upper display.

Superheat and Subcooling

1 Press circular button to cycle through temperature modes until SH

and SC are shown. The SMAN can show superheat and subcooling
simultaneously.

2 Choose the appropriate refrigerant using the REFRIGERANT

button.

3 Connect the K-type thermocouple and EPA approved refrigerant

hoses to your SMAN.
4 Connect your SMAN to the system:
Superheat: Hand tighten low side hose to suction line service

port. Place the thermocouple on the suction line between the

evaporator and compressor, no closer than 6 inches to compressor.
Subcooling: Hand tighten high side hose to liquid line service

port. Attach the thermocouple on the liquid line between the

condenser and expansion valve (TXV), as close to the service port

as possible.
5 After turning the system on or making any adjustments to

the system wait 15 minutes before charging by superheat or

subcooling to ensure that the system is stable and running

normally. Add or remove refrigerant using the low and high side

valves as needed. Let system stabilize again for 15 minutes.

Saturation

Shows vapor (VSAT) and liquid (LSAT) saturation temperatures
calculated from the pressures measured and the refrigerant selected.

T1 T2 Direct

1 Press circular button until T1 and T2 are shown.
2 Plug in any K-type thermocouple into T1 and/or T2.
3 Read the temperature directly from the display.
4 T1-T2 is displayed in the lower left corner of the display.

Target Superheat

Target Superheat is only used for charging xed orice air

conditioning systems. Your SMAN allows you to input indoor
wet bulb (IDWB) and outdoor dry bulb (ODDB) temperatures
manually, in real-time using K-type thermocouples, or a
combination of both to calculate the Target Superheat. Your SMAN
will detect if a thermocouple is plugged in or not. Unplugging the
thermocouple lead(s), at any time, sends the SMAN into manual
input mode and plugging them in, at any time, automatically
sends the SMAN to input directly from the thermocouples.

Input temperatures with K-type thermocouples

1 Press circular button until Target SH is shown in the bottom,

center of display.

2 Plug ATWB1 Wet bulb K-type thermocouple into T1 and ATA1 Dry

bulb K-type thermocouple into T2.

3 Press ENTER. The IDWB will display the real-time temperature

measured from T1. Use the ARROW button to select the
temperature you want to input rst, either IDWB or ODDB.

4 For IDWB input, wet the sock of the ATWB1. Clip it to the return

of the evaporator between the lter and coil. When the wet bulb
temperature reaches its lowest point and stabilizes, press ENTER
to lock the reading. If the inputted temperature is below the wet
bulb range, “-OL” will blink. If the inputted temperature is above
the wet bulb range, “OL” will blink. Retake the measurement if
“OL” or “-OL” is displayed.

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08

5 For ODDB input, clip the ATA1 thermocouple to the side of the

condenser. Once reading is stable, press ENTER. If the inputted
temperature is below the dry bulb range, “-OL” will blink. If the
inputted temperature is above the dry bulb range, “OL” will blink.
Re-take the measurement if “OL” or “-OL” is displayed. For accurate
results, keep the ATA1 shaded from direct sunlight.

6 Once both IDWB and ODDB are locked in, the Target Superheat

will show in the lower left corner of the display. If the Target
Superheat calculated from the IDWB and ODDB temperatures is
outside the range in which air conditioning is recommended then
“OL” is displayed. Usually, raising the indoor temperature will
bring the conditions within manufacturer’s recommendations.
If your target superheat is out of the recommended range, press
ENTER to re-take both your measurements.

7 To re-take either IDWB or ODDB, press the ARROW button until

the label (IDWB or ODDB) you wish to re-take is blinking. Press
ENTER. Re-do the measurement and press ENTER to lock it in. The
newly calculated target superheat will be displayed.

8 To clear both IDWB and ODDB simultaneously, press ENTER.

Input temperatures manually

1 Press circular button until Target SH is shown at the bottom,

center of display. Unplug thermocouples from T1 and/or T2.

2 Press ARROW button to select a blinking IDWB or ODDB. Press

ENTER to make a selection. Use the ARROW button to change
blinking digit and press ENTER to lock in each digit. Once the
last digit for ODDB or IDWB is locked in, the calculated target
superheat will show in the lower left corner of the display.

Note: When pressing ENTER to lock in the last digit for IDWB or

ODDB, if the inputted temperature is below the wet bulb or dry
bulb range, “-OL” will ash once. If the inputted temperature is
above the wet bulb or dry bulb range, “OL” will ash once. In both
instances you must re-input the measurement.

3 See steps 6-8 above.

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Pulling a Vacuum (model SMAN3)

Follow all manufacturers’ evacuation procedures over those in

this manual.

Note: larger systems may take much longer to reach a deep vacuum
and a dierent evacuation method or equipment might be preferred.
1 Connect your SMAN3 in between your vacuum pump and the

system, then power on your SMAN3.
2 Draw a vacuum on the system. The SMAN will automatically

sense the negative pressure and display the vacuum in microns.
3 Press Alarm button to toggle between the High (Hi) alarm, the

Low (Lo) alarm and no alarm. No Display of Lo or Hi means alarm

is o. Note: The stopwatch will start when an alarm is selected.

Pressing Alarm will reset the stopwatch.
4 When the rate of change in pressure is less than 1 micron per 10

seconds, Stable will appear in the lower left corner of the display.

Additional Tips:
To achieve a deep vacuum as quickly as possible:

1 Use the shortest hoses with the largest diameter available.
2 Remove Schrader cores and core depressors. Core removal tools

like the "MegaFlow Valve Core Removal Tool" can be purchased to

help with this process.
3 Inspect the rubber seals at both ends of your hoses for damage

that may result in leakage.
4 Do not use hoses with low loss ttings when evacuating or

pulling a vacuum on a system.

Set Vacuum Alarms (SMAN3)

1 Hold the ALARM button for one second to enter Alarm Set mode.
2 Press the ALARM button to toggle between Alarm Hi and Lo.
3 Use ARROW button to select the value and press ENTER to lock in

each digit. Once last digit in Alarm Lo is locked, your SMAN will

automatically revert to normal testing mode.

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What is Superheat and Subcooling?

!

Why Do I Need to Measure It?

Superheat is the difference between the
actual temperature of the refrigerant (gas) as
it leaves the evaporator and the boiling point
of the refrigerant. After boiling, the refrigerant
continues to heat up. The number of degrees it
“heats up” after boiling is called the superheat.
Under worst case conditions (low load for xed
orice systems), the refrigerant in the evaporator
boils o near the end of the evaporator coil. To
make sure liquid doesn’t enter the compressor
under the worst case condition (low load),
the refrigerator or A/C manufacturers publish
charts indicating what the superheat should be
at a given indoor wet bulb measurement and
outdoor air temperature.

Measuring superheat is your best indication
on a fixed orifice system of the proper
refrigerant charge and operating conditions.
If everything else is working properly and the
actual superheat is too high, add refrigerant. If
it’s too low, evacuate refrigerant.

Subcooling is the dierence between the
boiling point of the refrigerant in the condenser
and the actual temperature of the refrigerant

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as it leaves the condenser. The degrees that the
refrigerant “cools down” below the boiling point
is the subcooling. Under worst case scenario
(low load for TXV) the subcooling will continue
to rise. If the subcooling rises too high, liquid
may be backed into the compressor causing
damage and catastrophic failure. See www.
eldpiece.com for more technical articles.

Evaporator

Low Side

TXV

High Side

Condenser

Location of Subcooling Test

Location of Superheat Test

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Direction of
Refrigerant

Flow

Compressor

Specifications

Display size: 5 inches (diagonal)
Backlight: Blue (On for 1 minute unless turned o manually)
Battery: 6 x AA (Battery life below based on alkaline type)
Battery life (SMAN2): Approx. 500 hours (without backlight)
Battery life (SMAN3): Approx. 135 hours (without backlight)
Low battery indication: is displayed when the battery

voltage drops below the operating level

Auto Shut o: 30 minutes of inactivity when APO is activated
Operating environment: 32°F to 122°F (0°C to 50°C) at <75%

relative humidity

Storage temperature: -4°F to 140°F (-20°C to 60°C), 0 to 80% RH

(with battery removed)

Temperature coecient: 0.1 x (specied accuracy) per °C (0°C to

18°C, 28°C to 50°C), per 0.6°F (32°F to 64°F, 82°F to 122°F)

Over range: "OL" or "-OL" is displayed
Weight: 3.05 lbs (1.38 kg)

Pressure

Connector Type: Standard 1/4 NPT male are tting
Range: 29” HgV to 580 Psig (English), 74 cmHgV to 0 to 4000KPa

(Metric)

Resolution: 0.1 psi/inHg; 1 kPa/cmHg
Accuracy: 29” HgV to 0” HgV: ±0.2” HgV

74 cmHgV to 0 cmHgV: ±1 cmHgV
0 to 200 Psig: ±1 Psi; 0 to 1378 KPa: ±7 KPa; 0 to 1.378MPa:

±0.007MPa; 0 to 13.78 bar ±0.07 bar

200 to 580 Psig: ±0.3%+1 Psi; 1378 to 4000KPa: ±0.3%+7 Kpa;

1.378 to 4.000MPa: ±0.3%+0.007MPa; 13.78 to 40.00bar:
±0.3%+0.07bar

Maximum overload pressure: 800 psig
Units: Psig, kPa, MPa, bar, inHg, and cmHg

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Microns for Vacuum (SMAN3 only)

Connector Type: Standard 1/4 NPT male are tting
Range: 50 to 9999 microns of mercury
Resolution: 1 micron (50 to 2000 microns), 250 microns (2001 to

5000 microns), 500 microns (5001 to 8000 microns), 1000 microns
(8001 to 9999 microns)

Accuracy: ±10% or ±10 microns, whichever is greater (50 to 1000

microns)

Maximum Overload pressure: 500 psig
Units: Microns of mercury

Temperature

Sensor type: K-Type thermocouple
Range: -95°F to 999.9°F (-70°C to 537.0°C)
Resolution: 0.1°F/°C
Accuracy: ±(1.0°F) -95°F to 199.9°F; ±(0.5°C) -70°C to 93°C

±(2.0°F) 200°F to 999.9°F; ±(1.0°C) 93°C to 537.0°C
Note: All accuracies are after a eld calibration.

Refrigerants

The P-T charts of the following refrigerants come pre-programmed
into your SMAN. In your SMAN the refrigerants are listed in order of
most commonly used. Here, they are listed in numerical order for easy
reference.

R11, R113, R114, R12, R123, R1234YF, R124, R125, R13, R134A, R22,
R23, R401A(MP39), R401B, R402A, R402B, R404A, R406A, R407A,
R407C, R407F, R408A, R409A, R410A, R414B (Hotshot), R416A, R417A,
R417C (HOT SHOT 2), R420A, R421A, R421B, R422A, R422B(NU22B),
R422C(Oneshot), R422D, R424A, R427A, R434A(RS-45), R438A(MO99),

R500, R502, R503, R507A, R508B (Suva95)

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Maintenance

Clean the exterior with a dry cloth. Do not

use liquid.

Battery Replacement

The battery must be replaced when the
battery life indicator is empty. Turn your
SMAN o and replace with 6 AA batteries.

Cleaning the Sensors (SMAN3)

Over time, the vacuum sensor of the SMAN3
may become contaminated with dirt, oil, and
other contaminents introduced from pulling
vacuums.

1 Never use an object such as a cotton swab to clean the sensor,

you may cause damage to the sensor.
2 Open all knobs/valves, and cap all the ports except for the center

port.
3 Drop enough Isopropyl (rubbing) alcohol into the uncapped

port using an eye dropper or funnel so that it can ush out

contaminents.
4 Cap central port and gently shake your SMAN upside down to

clean sensor.
5 Turn right side up. Open a port to pour out the rubbing alcohol

and open all ports to allow sensors to dry out; usually an hour or

so.

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Calibration

Temperature

To calibrate your SMAN temperature
thermocouples, adjust the pot on the front of
the meter labeled T1 Cal or T2 Cal. The best way
to calibrate is to match to a known temperature.
Ice water is very close to 32°F and is readily
available. Accuracies of one degree or better
are easily obtained.

1 Stabilize a large cup of ice water by stirring. Pure, distilled water

will be the most accurate.
2 Press the circular button until your SMAN enters Direct

Temperature (T1 T2) mode.
3 Immerse the temp probe in ice water from T1 and adjust the

T1 Cal pot with a athead screwdriver and let it stabilize, keep

stirring.
4 Repeat Step 3 for temp probe in T2.

Pressure Zeroing

To calibrate your SMAN pressure sensors to
atmospheric pressure, ensure that your SMAN
is disconnected from any pressure source and
at equilibrium with the ambient pressure.

1 SMAN must be in Superheat/Subcooling, Saturation, or T1 T2

Direct mode.
2 Press the CAL Atmospheric Pressure button and your SMAN will

set the zero point of pressure to the ambient pressure.

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Advanced Pressure Calibration

Your SMAN has the ability to perform a linear
adjustment of the pressure sensors based on
refrigerant type, temperature, and pressure.

Calibration setup: For best results, perform both the Temperature

and Pressure Zeroing procedures. See Calibration section for

details. This will ensure pressure readings are zeroed and

thermocouple is properly calibrated to the T1 port of the SMAN.

Calibration to T2 port is not necessary for this calibration.

The refrigerant cylinder should be stored in a stable ambient

environment for at least 24 hours before calibration.
1 Press circular button until your SMAN enters T1 T2 Direct mode.
2 Plug in a K-type thermocouple into T1. (A bead type

thermocouple, like the ATB1, is recommended.)
3 Connect the SMAN to a refrigerant cylinder of a known, single

refrigerant using an EPA approved service hose. Be sure to open

both HIGH and LOW side valves on your manifold and cap the

unused ports. (If caps are not available you can connect both ends

of a refrigerant hose to the two unused caps. Note you will lose

some refrigerant into the hose using this method.)
4 Press the REFRIGERANT button to match the refrigerant of the

cylinder you are using.
5 Attach bead-type thermocouple to the side of the cylinder using

tape. It is recommended to attach in the middle of the cylinder.

Important: Let the temperature of the thermocouple stabilize to

the refrigerant temperature for 1 to 2 minutes or until stable.
6 Open the refrigerant cylinder. The pressure inside cylinder should

now be displayed on both HIGH and LOW side pressure sensors.
7 Press the CAL Test Pressure button. If successful, "Good" will

display for 3 seconds. If failed, "Err" will display for same time.

17

Your SMAN checks with its built-in P-T charts to compare the
temperature of the refrigerant in the tank to the vapor saturation
temperature based on the refrigerant you selected. If the measured
pressures on your SMAN are within ±3psi of the P-T chart pressure
corresponding to the vapor saturation temperature, the SMAN will
adjust the pressure sensor linearity to match the P-T chart.

Possible causes of failed "Err" pressure calibration:

1. Refrigerant tank was not stored in stable ambient conditions for at

least 24 hours.

2. Thermocouple attached to refrigerant tank was not properly

calibrated to T1 port of SMAN.

3. Thermocouple was plugged into wrong port T2 instead of T1.

4. Incorrect refrigerant was selected on the SMAN.

WARNINGS

DO NOT APPLY MORE THAN 800 PSI TO ANY PORT ON THE MANIFOLD.

FOLLOW ALL EQUIPMENT MANUFACTURER'S TESTING PROCEDURES
ABOVE THOSE IN THIS MANUAL IN REGARDS TO PROPERLY
SERVICING THEIR EQUIPMENT.

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Limited Warranty

This meter is warranted against defects in
material or workmanship for one year from
date of purchase. Fieldpiece will replace or
repair the defective unit, at its option, subject
to verication of the defect.

This warranty does not apply to defects
resulting from abuse, neglect, accident,
unauthorized repair, alteration, or unreasonable
use of the instrument.

Any implied warranties arising from the sale of
a Fieldpiece product, including but not limited
to implied warranties of merchantability and
tness for a particular purpose, are limited to
the above. Fieldpiece shall not be liable for loss
of use of the instrument or other incidental or
consequential damages, expenses, or economic
loss, or for any claim of such damage, expenses,
or economic loss.

State laws vary. The above limitations or
exclusions may not apply to you.

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Obtaining Service

Call Fieldpiece Instruments for current costs
on our fixed price warranty service. Send
check or money order for the amount quoted.
Send your digital manifold, freight prepaid, to
Fieldpiece Instruments. Send proof of date and
location of purchase for in-warranty service.
The meter will be repaired or replaced, at the
option of Fieldpiece, and returned via least cost
transportation.

For international customers, warranty for
products purchased outside of the U.S. should
be handled through local distributors.

www.fieldpiece.com

© Fieldpiece Instruments, Inc 2013; v32

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