Refrigerant leak detection is key to customers’ comfort. The
gravity of refrigerant leakage has evoked a stern warning from
the Environmental Protection Agency authorizing fines up to
$25,000 per day for each violation for contractors. (Feature
photos courtesy of Spectronics Corp.) In the United States, the
gravity of refrigerant leakage has evoked a stern warning from
the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) authorizing fines up
to $25,000 per day for each violation for contractors and
service people who vent chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs),
hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs), or hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs).
The unfortunate reality is that refrigerant leak sites are
usually discovered only after there has been a loss of cooling
due to discomfort, spoilage, or production difficulty. Repairing
refrigerant leaks is not the problem - finding them is. A single
leak detection method that locates every leak in every possible
situation simply does not exist. So, how do we determine which
method is most appropriate for diffe