CO
2
Leak Detector
14
with the CO
2
refrigerant in the air. Use the following
“
double pass
” procedure to find leaks by detecting
the change in CO
2
refrigerant concentration.
(A)Charge the system with sufficient CO
2
refrigerant. Turn the system on and force
compressor to operate. This could set the high
pressure end of the circulation ring to its
operating pressure. Turn the system off for
safer test operation and less interference.
(B)Visually trace the entire CO
2
refrigerant system,
and look for signs of air conditioning lubricant
leakage, damage, and corrosion on all lines,
hoses, and components. Check each
questionable area with the detector probe, as
well as all fittings, hose-to-line couplings,
refrigerant controls, service valves with caps in
place, brazed or welded areas, and areas
around attachment points and hold-downs on
lines and components. During this larger
leakage finding process, use the Medium
sensitivity range.
(C)Always go through the complete CO
2
refrigerant circulation path so that no areas of
potential leaks are missed. If one leakage is
found, continue to test the remaining part of the
system.
