Fluke HVAC Application Note

APPLICATION NOTE

Five reasons electricians
and HVAC technicians need
professional grade laser levels

Whether you’re laying out a new commercial electrical
or HVAC system or retrofitting an existing setup, the
process can be long and tedious. By adding laser levels
to your tool bag you can work both faster and more
precisely. However, some of the laser levels available
have proven they break easily and lose calibration during
regular, on-the-job handling.

Recognizing a gap in what was available and what
technicians needed, Fluke decided to apply its well­known ruggedness, accuracy, and reliability to a line
of professional grade laser levels. These Fluke laser
levels have been tested and proven to withstand a
one meter drop. They are easy to use and versatile
enough to serve a range of electrical and HVAC layout
requirements. If you’re wondering why you need a
Fluke professional grade laser level, here are five good
reasons:

1

Accuracy. Accuracy. Accuracy.

Whether you’re installing switchgear, duct work,
cable trays, lighting, outlets, or switches it is
critical that they map to a straight line, either for
performance or aesthetics, or both. Chalk lines
and reference strings sag, smear, and disappear.
Fluke Line Laser Levels project precise, readable
reference points accurate to 3 mm at 10 meters.
And they deliver results instantly thanks to a fast
settling, self-leveling gimbal.

2

Survives rough handling.

You may already have tried using a laser level
only to find that you had to handle it with kid
gloves. Existing laser levels tend to break easily
or lose calibration if dropped. Let’s face it, when
you’re working on a job site, things get dropped,
and you can’t afford to replace your laser level
every time that happens. Fluke added a protective
rubber housing to enable its laser levels to pass a
one meter drop test and stay in calibration.

3

It may be a cliché but it’s also true. It’s estimated
that electricians may spend up to 25% of their
time measuring and laying out a job. Traditional
tools like bubble levels or plumb bobs and chalk
often require at least two people. With Fluke
laser levels, one person can measure out a grid
pattern on the floor and transfer the points to
the ceiling to ensure precise positioning of the
fixtures. This minimizes the number of trips up
a ladder or lift, which saves time and reduces
risk. What used to take hours now takes minutes,
making you more productive and more accurate.

Time really is money.

Getting to root cause may

4

Even if your eyes are good, it’s not always easy
to see a chalk line in a dusty or dim environment.
If the environment is humid or wet, the odds are
good that the chalk line will disappear. Fluke
line laser levels produce crisp bright continuous
lines for better visibility. Fluke point laser levels
project three clearly visible spots. Both types are
available with either red or green lasers. And for
high ambient lighting conditions, Fluke Laser Line
Detectors help you locate the laser line, quickly
and efficiently, indoors or outdoors.

require assistance.

5

Electricians and HVAC technician install a lot
of different kinds of equipment in a variety of
environments. Fluke Laser Levels are designed
to help you map out those installations quickly,
simply and accurately, in just about any environ­ment. For example:

• Duct work and cable trays. Use a point laser to
transfer reference points from the floor to the
ceiling to quickly install cable trays and duct
work. You can also use a line laser to make
sure everything is laid out in a straight line.

• Switchgear and mechanical equipment. Proj­ect a laser line (rather than a chalk line) to
easily and accurately drill all of the mounting
holes in the floor for switchgear or mechani­cal equipment. This increases precision and
eliminates the risk of smeared chalk, help­ing to ensure that you only have to move the
heavy equipment once.

• Conduit and rigid cable. These installations
require perfectly aligned holes on the floor
and ceiling (or opposite walls) for a proper fit.
You can use a line laser to easily line up the
center points of several holes at once, or a
point laser to transfer single points.

• Long lighting fixture runs. Use a point laser to
determine reference points for a long fixture
run and a line laser to create a perfectly
straight run. This can save trips up the ladder
or scissor lift and increase accuracy.

• Outlets and switches. Use a line laser level
to easily align a whole wall of outlets and
switches at once. This saves time and
increases accuracy over using a chalk line
or a measuring tape.

can be a challenge.

Data storage and management

Fluke. Keeping your world
up and running.

Fluke Corporation
PO Box 9090, Everett, WA 98206 U.S.A.

Fluke Europe B.V.
PO Box 1186, 5602 BD
Eindhoven, The Netherlands

For more information call:
In the U.S.A. [phone] or
Fax [phone]
In Europe/M-East/Africa [phone] or
Fax [phone]
In Canada (800)-36-FLUKE or
Fax [phone]
From other countries [phone] or
Fax [phone]
Web access: http://www.fluke.com

©2016 Fluke Corporation.
Specifications subject to change without notice.
Printed in U.S.A. 10/2016 6008492a-en

Modification of this document is not permitted
without written permission from Fluke Corporation.

®

2 Fluke Corporation Five reasons electricians and HVAC technicians need professional grade laser levels