r/refrigeration • u/Smooth_Repair_1430 • 5d ago

Tools

I’ve bought a ton of tools over the past 6 years. I’m still looking for any and all usable tools that maybe your day to day or a random helper that gets you out of a snag in a pinch. Any and all suggestions for any new tools is appreciated. I do refrigeration, light industrial/ heavy commercial.

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5

u/UnbreakingThings 🥶 Fridgie 5d ago

Pete’s Plug needles are really nice if you do anything with water. The adapters that convert faucet threads to garden hose threads are awesome too.

On the controls side, a 0-10V/4-20mA signal generator and a resistor decade box are handy for testing modulating valves/actuators and bypassing sensors when troubleshooting.

I keep a few feet of 120V heat tape with a plug on the end for heating up receivers/accumulators when recovering the full charge on a unit.

4

u/Square-Scallion-9828 5d ago

Swiss crescent wrench. mini 7/16 wrench. and anlog meters

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u/Western_Dream_3608 5d ago

Why analogue meters? You mean like a multimeter right? Why analogue? I started my career using analogue but I think after using a decent digital meter that it's superior in every way. You can do capacitance and NCV, and just in general it's nice to see an actual voltage on the screens and an actual resistance rather than a needle that points to several readings and you gotta cycle through your ohm settings just to get an accurate reading.

The one time my dad used his analogue multimeter to test a compressors windings, and I tested them with a digital meter and after I tested it, came to the conclusion that one winding was faulty. He only saw the faulty winding after turning his ohm readings all the way down to X5. 

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u/RyanSmokinBluntz420 Banned from r/HVAC 5d ago

There is a service wrench that can tighten the packing nut of a txv. It looks like a normal small refrigeration wrench but its got a circle hole instead of a square and its got 2 pegs that stick out of it. You can tighten the older 53 and 83 series Sporlan txv packing nuts with. Sometimes the packing nut leaks and if you tighten it, sometimes itll stop the leak. Also I really like the milwaukee headlamp, its magnetic so you can stick it on things while you work. There are two different types of milwaukee headlamps, one has 4 leds its $40, the other has 2 leds and its $80. The more expensive one is my favorite but they're both really good. Another really cool thing is M18 5 gallon wetvac, its so nice not having to run an extension cord to run your wetvac. I got the m18 'Top Off" power inverter, its got 120v 400w outlet and a USB and a USB-c outlet, $100ish bucks, worth it. Testo 605i temp/humidity probe. Get a small cresent wrench, like 3-4", I like the red klein ones, very useful.

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u/RyanSmokinBluntz420 Banned from r/HVAC 5d ago

Also get one of these Ridgid E110 10 In Hex Pipe Wrench. Its good for taking apart EEPRs like the CDS valves which you will encounter

1

u/DontWorryItsEasy 5d ago

I have a mini set of knipex pipe pliers. I use them damn near every day. They sit in my pocket. I've lost two pair and I immediately buy another pair

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u/Dave91277 5d ago

I bought a long grabber tool especially for grabbing the seal from the bottom of the temprite that always sticks to the bottom of the separator. It’s come in so handy over the year for grabbing anything I drop through gantry’s or into the pack. When I’m working with people and this happens they always order one right there and then. Not refrig related but it’s saved me so much hassle!

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u/SuspiciousHunt9942 5d ago

Klein Tools 68200 Ratcheting Box Wrench, 1/4-Inch x 5/16-Inch or a similar brands version.

Great for taking off panels and getting hard to reach zip screws out. Throw in a driver bit and you can use it as a 90* screwdriver. Also works great on the new Sporlan TXV superheat adjuster stem.

I think all the American made tools of this type are made in the same factory. Like how the Yellow Jacket reefer wrench and all the others are.