Bacharach Informant Leak Detector User manual
Instruction 0019-9210 1
The Informant Refrigerant Leak Detector
The Informant™
Refrigerant Leak Detector
Instruction 0019-9210
Operation & Maintenance
Rev. 6 – May 2010
Quality Products • Nationwide Repair Service • Technical Training
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 IM-
PLIED 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 ARIS-
ING 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 limita-
tion will be binding upon Bacharach, Inc. unless in writing, signed by a duly authorized officer of Bacharach.
Notice:
Product improvements and enhancements are continuous, therefore the specifications and information con-
tained in this document may change without notice.
Bacharach, Inc. shall not be liable for errors contained herein or for incidental or consequential damages in con-
nection with the furnishing, performance, or use of this material.
No part of this document may be photocopied, reproduced, or translated to another language without the prior
written consent of Bacharach, Inc.
Copyright © 2000-2010, Bacharach, Inc., all rights reserved.
BACHARACH®is a registered trademark of Bacharach, Inc.
Informant™ is a trademark of Bacharach, Inc. All other trademarks, trade names,
service marks and logos referenced herein belong to their respective companies.
Register Your Warranty by Visiting
www.mybacharach.com
Declaration of Conformity
Manufacturer’s name: Bacharach, Inc.
Manufacturer’ address: 621 Hunt Valley Circle
New Kensington, PA 15068-7074
European operations: Bacharach Europe
Sovereign House, Queensway
Leamington Spa
Warwickshire CV31 3JR
United Kingdom
Product name: The Informant Leak Detector
conforms to the following specifications:
European Directive 89/336/EEC
EN 50081-1: 1992 (Emissions)
EN 50082-1: 1998 (Immunity)
EN 61000-4-2: 1995 (Electromagnet)
EN 61000-4-3: 1995 (Electromagnet)
Contents
Introduction .................................................................................................1
Features.........................................................................................................2
Technical Characteristics .........................................................................3
Operation ......................................................................................................5
Battery Installation..................................................................................5
Turning the Detector ON / OFF ..............................................................5
Low Battery Indication ............................................................................6
Audible Indicator Mute ............................................................................6
Normal / Low Sensitivity Mode ...............................................................6
Procedure for Locating a Refrigerant Leak.............................................7
Sensor Failure Indication ........................................................................8
False Refrigerant Indication....................................................................8
Sensor Flooding Indication ......................................................................9
SAE Leak Detection Tips .........................................................................9
Maintenance ...............................................................................................11
Routine Maintenance .............................................................................11
Probe Filter Replacement ...................................................................... 12
Sensor Replacement ...............................................................................12
Probe Assembly or Fan Replacement....................................................14
Troubleshooting Guide ............................................................................18
Parts & Service ..........................................................................................20
Complete Kits .........................................................................................20
Optional Accessories............................................................................... 20
Replacement Parts .................................................................................20
Sales/Service Centers .............................................................................21
The Informant Refrigerant Leak Detector
4Instruction 0019-9210
Notes:
Instruction 0019-9210 5
The Informant Refrigerant Leak Detector
Introduction
The Informant Leak Detector (Figure 1) is a portable, battery powered
instrument designed to pinpoint the location of refrigerant leaks in air
conditioning and refrigerant systems, chillers or cold storage units.
The detector is designed to be quickly responsive to all refrigerants, even
when high levels of background vapors or refrigerant are present. No man-
ual sensitivity adjustments are necessary during the inspection process.
The detector is suitable for HVAC Service Technicians, Refrigerant Ser-
vice Technicians, Plant Maintenance Departments, Automotive Service
Facilities, and Refrigerant & Environmental Chamber Manufactures who
are in need of a small, lightweight and rugged detector that is capable of
detecting and then pinpointing small to large gas leaks in tight spaces
such as those found in refrigeration units and automobile engine compart-
ments.
Figure 1. The Informant Refrigerant Leak Detector
Introduction
The Informant Refrigerant Leak Detector
6Instruction 0019-9210
Features
Features
• Quickly pinpoints the location of refrigerant leaks
• Patented sensor that represents the latest advancements in sensor tech-
nology
• Microprocessor-controlled circuitry
• Dual bar-graph LED’s, located both on top and at the rear of the detec-
tor, provide visual indication of the refrigerant level from a wide variety
of viewing angles
• Audible refrigerant-level indicator with mute feature
• Flashing probe tip refrigerant-level indicator
• Low-sensitivity mode, pushbutton selectable
• Automatic zero and background compensation that allows a leak to be
quickly found in contaminated atmospheres without requiring manual
sensitivity adjustments
• Flexible probe that allow it to be either “docked” in its storage position
for close-up leak testing, or unfolded to its maximum length of 20 inches
(508 mm) for locating leaks in hard-to-reach areas
• Filter in probe tip prevents dust, dirt and water from reaching sensor
• One-handed operation
• No user calibration required
• Long life, DC brushless fan provides positive airflow past sensor
resulting in a faster response time
• Batteries included
• Optional protective rubber boot
• One year warranty
• Extended warranty available
• Made in U.S.A.
Instruction 0019-9210 7
The Informant Refrigerant Leak Detector
Technical Characteristics
Power .......................................... Four ‘AA’ Alkaline Batteries
Warm-Up Time ..........................10 seconds
Refrigerants Detected................ All CFC, HCFC and HFC refrigerants
including: R-12, R-22, R-123, R-134a and
blends R-404A, R-408A, R-409A, and R-410A
(i.e., any refrigerant containing Chlorine,
Fluorine or Bromine gas)
Sensor:
Type ......................................... Heated Diode, Dispersive Electron, Plug-In
Life Expectancy....................... Typically 150 hours or 1 year of normal use
Probe........................................... Flexible gooseneck, 20 inch (508 mm) maxi-
mum [reduces to 3 inches (76 mm) when
wrapped around instrument], includes inte-
gral sensor, filter, and LED. Probe tip is 0.2"
(5 mm) in diameter and 1" (25 mm) long.
Battery Life ................................4–5 hours, under typical intermittent opera-
tion
Visual and Audible Indicators:
Power On................................. Green LED
Low Battery............................. Red LED
Low Sensitivity Mode ............. Amber LED
Relative Refrigerant Level ..... The detector responds to an increasing
change in refrigerant level by activating its
visual and audible indicators as follows:
Visual – Dual LED bar-graphs (located on
the top and rear of the detector) begin to
progressively glow in series. In addition,
an LED located in the probe tip begins to
increase its blink rate from an idle rate of
once-per-second.
Audible – The audible indicator’s tick rate
begins to increase from its idle rate of one-
tick-per-second.
Sensor Failure......................... The middle refrigerant-level LED on both
displays glows steady.
Technical Characteristics
The Informant Refrigerant Leak Detector
8Instruction 0019-9210
Technical Characteristics
Switches:
Power....................................... Toggles detector ON/OFF
Mute.........................................Toggles audible indicator ON/OFF, and
Toggles Low-Sensitivity Mode ON/OFF
when switch is held down >¾ second
Sampling System Flowrate ...... 40 to 50 cc/min with sensor installed
Response Time ........................... 0.2 second
Sensitivity:
Normal..................................... 0.5 oz/year (14 g/yr) of R134a (hardest to
detect refrigerant) as detected by mov-
ing probe tip at 2" (50 mm) per second,
0.1" (3 mm) above leak source. A leak rate
of less than 0.25 oz/year (7 g/yr) can be de-
tected when probe tip is held steady over
leak source for at least 5 seconds.
Low .......................................... 1/10 of normal
Sensitivity Adjustment.............. Automatic – in either sensitivity mode
Weight ........................................ 0.86 lb (0.39 kg) w/ batteries
Size (excluding probe) ............... 1.75W x 9.62L x 2.25H inches
(44.5 x 244.3 x 57.2 mm)
Probe Length .............................. 20" (508 mm)
Operating Environment:
Position.................................... Any
Temperature ........................... 32 to 122 °F (0 to 50 °C)
Humidity ................................. 15 to 90% RH, non-condensing
Approvals.................................... CE Mark & UL listed in accordance to
SAE J1627
Instruction 0019-9210 9
The Informant Refrigerant Leak Detector
Figure 2. Battery Installation
LOOSEN BATTERY
DOOR SCREW
'AA' BATTERIES
Operation
Operation
Battery Installation
1. See Figure 2. Using a #1 Phillips screwdriver, first loosen the battery
door screw located at the rear of the detector; then remove the door.
2. Install four ‘AA’ alkaline batteries into the detector, observing the
polarity markings that are molded on the side of the case.
3. Reinstall the battery door and tighten its screw.
Turning the Detector ON / OFF
See Figure 3. The detector is toggled ON and OFF by pressing the POWER
button.
When first turned on, observe that the Power LED glows and that all
other LED’s are tested by being turned on for 1 second.
The detector requires 10 seconds to warm up. After which time all LED’s
should be off except for the Power LED, along with the probe tip blinking
and audible indicator ticking at approximately once-per-second.
Note that during the warm-up period, the detector has zeroed out any
background concentration of vapors or refrigerant that may have been
present in the area.
After the detector is turned on and allowed to warm up, it is ready to per-
form leak testing as described in Section Procedure for Locating a Refrig-
erant Leak.
The Informant Refrigerant Leak Detector
10 Instruction 0019-9210
Low Battery Indication
A low-battery condition is indicated when the LO BATT LED glows. There
will be approximately 20 minutes of full operation time remaining from
the time this LED first turns on; after which, the intensity of all LED’s
and audible output will gradually diminish.
When a low-battery indication occurs, replace the batteries as described
under the previous Section Battery Installation.
Audible Indicator Mute
The audible indicator’s ticking sound can be toggled on and off by momen-
tarily pressing the LOW SENS / MUTE button for less than ¾ second (ob-
serve that the LOW SENS LED should not be affected by this operation).
Normal / Low Sensitivity Mode
When The Informant is first turned on it defaults to its normal-sensitivity
mode (LOW SENS LED is off). Placing the instrument into its low-
Figure 3. Indicators and Controls
Operation
BATTERYBATTERY
DOORDOOR
TOP CONTROL PANELTOP CONTROL PANEL
REFRIGERANT
LEVEL LED'S
(Also used to indicate
a sensor failure.)
LOW BATTERY LED
POWER ON LED
LOW SENSITIVITY LED
AUDIBLE INDICATOR
OPENING
Press to toggle unit on/off
REFRIGERANT
LEVEL LED'S
(Also used to
indicate a
sensor failure.)
Press <3/4 sec. to toggle mute.
Press >3/4 sec. to toggle low
sensitivity mode.
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