Greetings everyone. Today’s post will take a quick but detailed look at the Testo 316-3 Refrigerant Leak Detector which offers all the quality and features one has come to expect from a Testo product along with a couple unique qualities like great accuracy and superior sensitivity.

The Testo 316-3 is designed with heated diode sensor technology which allows for superior sensitivity, enabling the detector to accurately find leaks as small as 0.15 ounces/year. This kind of sensitivity rating is extremely good for a handheld unit. The sensitivity is also adjustable so you can easily and efficiently pinpoint leaks by reducing the sensitivity as you get nearer and nearer to the leak source.

The proximity of the unit to the leak is indicated by both an LED visual indicator and an audio alarm. Also designed into the unit is automatic zeroing to compensate for any refrigerant build-p that may already be present in the area with the leak. This means that you are starting off from a relative zero point and can trace the leak by allowing the sensor to pick up the direction from which the amount of leaking refrigerant is occurring.

The Testo 316-3 picks up a wide variety of refrigerant gases including R-22, R134a, R-404A, R-410A, R-507, R438A and all CFCs, HFCs, and HCFCs and can run for 16 continuous ours on one pair of D batteries. Included with the unit is a transport case, calibration certificate, batteries and a filter, making this small kit a great value for the cost.

Ultimately the 316-3 offers the quality German engineering and performance expected from Testo and is a great addition to your HVAC toolbox.

Any thoughts on heated diode sensor technology like this versus some of the newer infrared technologies?

Until next time.