Vacuum Leak Detectors
Vacuum leak detectors have become integral to the family of
leak detector tools because they are a reliable, economic and not easily biased option for
leak detection. A style of leak tester, it is able to locate where a leak is but not what the substance is called that is leaking. Like all other leak detecting mechanisms, it works as one part of a system with multiple elements. That is why a
leak tester, which is able to identify the gas or liquid in the atmosphere, is a good complimentary tool. The vacuum detector can be used as a way to ensure the quality of the pipes as well as being pulled out when there is a drop in productivity and a leak is for sure. As the uses of this particular detector vary, so do the types offered. Popular vacuum leak detectors include the turbo-molecular, back scrolling, rotary and dry running options, which offer many different features such as degree of tightness, pumping speed range and resistance to corrosion.
Though the pumps, valves, gauges and readouts vary between types of detectors, the basic function is the same. The vacuum leak detector is applied to a closed system, producing a vacuum in the tested tube. Compressed air, known as a tracer, is pumped into the system and the pressure is monitored. A falling reading on the gauge indicates a leak, while the rate of the fall shows the severity of the leak. Though others may be used, helium is the most popular tracer gas as it is cheap, non-hazardous and nondestructive. Because the presence of helium in the atmosphere is low, it also enables testing with little concern for background interference when searching for the location of a leak. Vacuum leak detectors were once too large and difficult to maneuver, but as technologies improve portable devices are widely available and affordable.
