General Tools RLD400 User Manual

DIGITAL

REFRIGERANT LEAK DETECTOR

WITH PUMP

USER’S MANUAL

RLD400

Please read this manual carefully and thoroughly before using this product.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 –4

How It Works . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 –4

Key Features. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

What’s in the Case . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

Setup Instructions. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

Install Batteries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

Operating Instructions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 –8

Starting Up . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 –6

Checking for Leaks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 –7

Using the Leak Test Vial. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

Maintenance Instructions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

Changing the Batteries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

Replacing the Filter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

Warranty Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

Return for Repair Policy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

INTRODUCTION

Thank you for purchasing General Tools & Instruments’ (General’s) RLD400 Digital
Refrigerant Leak Detector with Pump. Please read this user’s manual carefully and
thoroughly before using the product.

The RLD400’s long-lasting solid electrolyte semiconductor sensor can detect leaks of all
halogenated (chlorine or fluorine-based) refrigerant gases currently in common use.
They include HFCs (hydrofluorocarbons), CFCs (chlorofluorocarbons) and HCFCs
(hydrochlorofluorocarbons).

Specifically, the instrument can detect:

• Widely used HFC refrigerants such as R-134a, R-410a, R-404a, R-407c and R-507

• CFC refrigerants such as CFC-12 (R-12)—commonly known as Freon

• HCFC replacement blends, such as R-22, approved by the U.S. EPA for complying with
the stratospheric ozone protection provisions of the Clean Air Act

• R-1234yf, the newly approved hydrofluoroolefin (HFO) refrigerant with a global

warming potential 335 times less than that of R-134a
Electronic sensing is the most widely used, sensitive and accurate method of refrigerant

leak detection.

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WHY LOOK FOR REFRIGERANT LEAKS?

There are three reasons to detect and repair leaks of refrigerant gases from
stationary and mobile air conditioners, refrigeration systems and heat pumps:

1. Leaks allow air and moisture to enter an A/C system or chiller. Moisture can
react with refrigerant to form corrosive acids and sludge that can damage a
compressor, plug up orifice tubes, and/or eat pinholes in evaporators and
condensers.

2. Refrigerant is expensive. It may seem cheaper to keep recharging your
system with refrigerant than fix a leak—but it isn’t in the long run. And A/C
systems and chillers that aren’t fully charged won’t cool efficiently and thus
waste money (electricity-powered systems) or fuel (vehicle systems).

3. Most refrigerants deplete the ozone layer that blocks the Sun's harmful
ultraviolet radiation. In the U.S., the Clean Air Act of 1990 and later
amendments require owners or operators of refrigeration and air­conditioning equipment with refrigerant charges greater than 50 pounds to
repair leaks within 30 days when those leaks result in the loss of more than
15% (comfort cooling) or 35% (commercial cooling) of the charge over a
12-month period.

The RLD400’s proprietary sensor and detection technology are the keys to its excellent
performance and durability. Compared to products of decades past with “heated
sensors”, the RLD400 warms its sensor to a much lower temperature. The reduction in
heat reduces the instrument’s power consumption and improves sensor stability while
extending the life of the sensor and maintaining its electrochemical function.

Test data indicate no decline in the sensor’s performance after thousands of hours of
operation. Sensor life is specified at more than ten years of normal use. In addition,
because the instrument and sensor comply with SAE Standards J2791 and J2913 and
the European Standard EN14624, the sensor will not be damaged by overexposure to
refrigerant gas or by contamination by water. To comply with SAE J2791, the RLD400
also had to demonstrate its sensitivity to 15 different chemicals and pass two “garage
durability” tests, one requiring it to survive three drops from 4 ft. onto concrete.

HOW IT WORKS

A small mechanical pump inside the RLD400 draws a sample of air through the tip of
the instrument’s 17-in. long probe into a proprietary sensor 1-1/2 inches downstream. A
proportional halogen detector in the sensor determines whether any refrigerant gas is in
the sample. If any gas is detected, the sensor and other circuits measure the amount of
refrigerant and convert the value to an electrical signal.

If no leak is detected, no signal is produced and the display remains off (dark). When a
leak is detected, the signal is amplified, digitized, and displayed on the front panel as a
large, bright red number from 1 to 9 corresponding to the size of the leak (1 for the
smallest leaks, 9 for the largest).

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The digital readout makes it easy to pinpoint the source of a leak and helps you decide
whether it is large enough to be worth plugging. The reading is independent of the
selected sensitivity level (three are available) and is at its highest when the tip of the
probe is at the source of the leak. A table in the Operating Instructions section of this
manual correlates display readings with leak size, in ounces per year.

The RLD400 simultaneously uses sound to help locate the source of a leak. Whenever
the unit is on, it continuously produces three very loud beeps every two seconds. When
a leak is detected, the frequency of the beeping increases dramatically. The beeper can
be muted by pressing a dedicated button on the front panel.

A third feature of the RLD400 that helps locate leaks is a red LED adjacent to the sensor
at the end of the probe. This light flashes in sync with the beep. In other words, it flashes
three times every two seconds whenever the unit is on, and much faster whenever the
unit detects refrigerant. When the red LED begins to flash rapidly, your eye will naturally
be drawn to it—and therefore the location of the leak. Like the leak-size readout, the
LED at the end of the probe is bright enough to be visible in full sunlight.

The RLD400 automatically compensates for ambient levels of refrigerant gas. No
manual sensitivity adjustments or power adjustments are required.

The instrument is supplied with a proprietary leak test vial that lets you verify that it is
working properly prior to searching for a leak. The RLD400 is powered by four “AA”
batteries, which are included in the case.

KEY FEATURES

• Proprietary sensor with lifetime of thousands of hours of operation (ten years of
normal use)

• Detects all commercially available HFC, HFO, HC, HCFC and CFC refrigerants as well
as blends and newly approved replacements such as R-22 and R-1234yf

• Triple-redundant leak indication (loud fast beep, bright flashing LED, digital leak size
reading)

• True mechanical pump draws in samples, increasing sensitivity

• Sensitivity of 0.05 oz./year (1.4 g/year) to R-134a

• Three sensitivity levels

• Fast warmup • Comfortable neoprene grip

• Automatic calibration and reset to ambient levels • Mutable beeper

• Garage-durable construction • Leak test vial

• Low battery indicator • Padded hard plastic case

• Made in U.S.A. • SAE J2791 and J2913 certified

• 2-year warranty includes sensor • CE, RoHS, WEEE approved

• Complies with European standard EN 14624

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