Testo® 556 Feature Key

Wanna know more about the Testo® 556 RSA than you know about your wife? - Go to HVAC PROTech.com® The Technicians Forum^SM and click on Testo Vader:

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Additional differences in design fundamentals between generations 1 and 2 [Generation 2 pictured below.] are relatively obvious by simple appearance alone. The display screen has been significantly improved, note that the handles have been offset slightly in the second generation version.

               Second Generation Testo 523 RSA.

The handles also retract to provide additional protection when not in use. Both the sightglass as well as the display screen offer backlighting capability. The 523 pictured above was also originally released without a hose holder for the dead end of the hoses, an accessory was later offered that combined blanks for hose parks and a screen protector - this option however, has met with relatively little acceptance by the technican community as a whole. Our own Fieldtests of the 523 revealed that the composition of the accessory was not well suited to lower temperatures [it becomes very brittle] encountered by users in northern climates. Note that the illustration above of the second generation 523 was as it appeared in it’s initial release, prior to the recall exercised by Testo. The revised version of the second generation 523 [illustrated below] included the circled tailpiece, added for protection of the pressure/vacuum inlets.

Second Generation: Version 2 of the 523 RSA. Note the added protection [circled] to the transducer inputs as it compares to the initial release of the second generation 523

The addition of the transducer input protection tailpiece to the revised second generation release of the 523 may hold some significance to the technician that makes a practice of purchasing instruments from online auction sites or distributors such as Ebay. If you see the 523 v.1 without this added protection the instrument has not been returned for the factory recall correction. The recall dealt with a potential compromise in the integrity of the manifold that may have resulted in refrigerant loss. I am not clear of whether any actual occurrences of this potential issue were documented or not, so caveat emptor if a purchase is made without the tailpiece in place on this particular instrument.

Testo® 556 RSA Coming to HVAC PROTech® FieldTest LineUp

The Testo® 556 RSA. The latest addition to the HVAC PROTech® line of FieldTest Instruments. Fully configurable to meet your specific applications. Interfaced with Testo® Easy Kool™ software emerges as one of the most complete diagnostics instruments available to the trade.

“On the Testo 556/560 the temperature sensors are quad input. In the 560 and 556 two are hard wired, and two are wireless (optional). The wireless probes can be mapped to perform superheat and subcooling calculations as well as the hard wired. This would allow the tech to measure subcooling at the condenser (hardwired) outside and suction temperature at the evaporator outlet (wireless) inside and calculate superheat evaporator superheat and condenser subcooling at the same time on a split system.The sensors are transducers; it is converting a pressure signal to an electrical signal. They are electronic. So both definitions apply. The roughness of the sensor is far less than that of the inside of a typical manifold. Surface roughness will not affect performance.

The sensors are smooth to the touch, almost slippery. There are many techniques for mounting sensors, the critical thing is that the sensor does not move. The mounting is serviceable, the sensors are clamped in and sealed with special chemical resistant o-rings, and they are expected to last the life of the instrument. Everything Testo makes is serviceable and or repairable at some level. The instrument has been tested well over 725 psi, which is the maximum allowable working pressure. This would be over 150° condensing with 410a, which is the highest end of most temperature pressure charts. We have never had a sensor leak in an instrument. They are all pressure and vacuum tested before they leave Germany. The rubber boot in the instrument can be stripped off by hand and the entire instrument can be disassembled for service. The valves and valve handles are field replaceable; the brass fittings are also field replaceable. The calibration can be field checked with a virgin tank of refrigerant, so unless a sensor fails, which is very unlikely, it most likely will not need to be returned to the factory for calibration unless it is needed for ISO certification.The 556 is the same as the 560 except the 560 has built in vacuum.”
                                                                                                   ~Jim Bergmann~

556/560 Technology Overview

It has been four years since the US introduction of the first generation of Testo refrigeration products. Our new generation of the Testo line of refrigeration system analyzers (RSA’s) will continue to change the way the HVAC/R world troubleshoots, commissions and services A/C & refrigeration systems. Although the first generation of refrigerant products was highly successful, Testo has listened to our customers’ desires to develop a product line with the diversity to meet your most demanding applications. Testo has completely retooled and reworked the refrigeration product design from the hook, which is now a quick locking carbineer, to a backlit sight glass that aids in refrigerant recovery allowing the technician to see when the last drops of liquid refrigerant are removed. Larger valve handles that can be recessed or extended make it easier for large or small hands to operate the gauge porting, and valves that can be field serviced or replaced without the need for special tools. Leading the refrigeration industry in innovative technology, Testo will again surpass your expectations in digital refrigeration technology. The next generation has incorporated a long list of new features that will increase measurement accuracy, reduce equipment-servicing time, and provide a means of tamperproof field verification, while streamlining field operations. Added this year in all instruments is the ability to print the measurement results on site via wireless printer, high stability ceramic relative pressure transducers, a large backlit display and sight glass, and intuitive user operation. Four valve design with a 3/8-evacuation port. High durability valve handles with Teflon seats, hose holder with integrated LCD protection, data logging and wireless temperature sensor capability. Also incorporated into the 560 is a precision vacuum sensor that reads in microns, “hg, or Pascal’s of pressure. With its data storage capabilities USB output, real-time graphic capabilities in the online mode, joined with the superior accuracy, no other product made can compete at any level.

The Testo 556/560 digital refrigeration/air conditioning system analyzers are a multipurpose tool designed for every day use replacing a gauge manifold, superheat or subcooling thermometers, Pressure-Temperature charts, etc.. with a rugged hand held versatile tool.

Construction
Working in refrigeration and air conditioning requires instrumentation that can survive in demanding applications. For this reason, the new digital refrigeration system analyzer are put through a series of endurance tests. Among these are a drop test of (1.5 meters) ~5’. The instrument must not only be undamaged, but also work flawlessly after the fall on a concrete floor.

· Vibration testing: Preformed according to DIN/EN 50379 guarantee the RSA functionally far beyond the demands of day-to-day use.

· Splash testing: Water is sprayed from all directions at once, IP54 Water protection class documents the resistance toward water splash · Shock Protection: A second skin made from shock absorbent material protct the RSA from mechanical damage, and valves that can be stowed prevent damage from shearing forces.

· Fall and Theft Protection: A quick locking carabineer assure that once the instrument is hooked on it stays on. A swivel allows for easy positioning toward the user, and a lock will help prevent unauthorized removal during long term monitoring.

· Data Protection: A code prevents unauthorized termination of the measurement, Additionally; the data is tamperproof and can therefore be used for third party verification of proper operation.

Read the Full 556/560 Technology Overview here: http://hvacprotech.forumwise.com/hvacprotech-thread2630-0-asc-140.html

“Simply put, I learned more about refrigeration and air conditioning by studying data logs then I ever learned in the preceding 15 years in this business. When you can see the big picture, you really can understand what is happening and also what has happened. Learning does require an investment of time, but when I look at what I can do now verses what I could do then, the investment has paid back tenfold.”

                                                                                                     ~Jim Bergmann~

Click the Thumbnails Above for A Full Page Display of Easy Kool™ Charts.

Additionally with 60,000 points of data storage, it can be left stand alone to unmonitored, or watched in real-time on a PC. Before you ask who is going to carry a PC to the job, I can tell you a dozen companies where 90% or better of the guys carry PCs. They use them either for billing, or automation. My fathers company has 48 service guys that carry PCs not including the guys in automation. The PC has become a regular par of the job.

As far as pressure diagnostics go, I will say again, diagnosing by pressure only is no better than charging by pressure only. You cannot tell without a shadow of a doubt what is going on with out measuring pressures and temperature. Just install a 3/4 sight glass on the suction line of any residential system, and you will see small amounts of liquid refrigerant and oil coming back toward the compressor. The refrigerant will not hurt anything as it flashes when it goes over the compressor motor. It is only when the volume of liquid that returns is so great that it overcomes the heat developed by the compressor or when the volume of refrigerant is so great that it dilutes the oil that it becomes a problem.

Discharge temperature and total SUPERHEAT are the industry standards for diagnosing these problems. With partial loading, oil migration and oil slugging have become more of a problem than refrigerant liquid slugging. The learning curve is much lower for understanding a system data log than understanding pressure diagnostics. You cannot dispute that more information is better than less. I can print this information with the small testo printer, or download it to a report in the PC software. Would you ever service a system without measuring superheat, subcooling, discharge temperatures, compressor amps, return and supply air conditions? Can you leave an un-editable copy of your findings on the job for the next tech or the customer, for the factory? Can you document operation over a 24 hour period after a compressor change out to look at cycle times and operation over high to low load? With QI protocols (Quality Installation) Could you provide the third party information needed to verify proper charge? Testo can!

Don’t down play the value of data logging. It tells the whole story. I can data log for a minute, hours or days without ever hooking up the PC, I can view the information in a PC or scroll through it on the 556/560. I can see not only what is happening, but also what happened while I was not watching the gauges. With the 556 and 560, feature for feature we have you beat. If you want to compare the DSRA to the 523, you have one feature we don’t, and we have several features you don’t, like a back light, printing capability, a back lit sight glass and locking carabiner.

The only place with more data on the 556 than Testo®….. The Technicians Forums HVAC PROTech.com® http://www.hvacprotech.com  Presents the 556 FieldTest Thread. Coming Soon. 

Digital Gauge Dictionary: Dual Ceramic Pressure Transducers

Testo® Dual Ceramic Pressure Transducers

Testo® Pressure Sensors. All three of the RSA Series Digital Refrigeration System Analyzers [523 | 556 | 560],  have dual ceramic pressure transducers. Ceramic pressure measuring cells provide a measuring accuracy and repeatability that is stable over a very long time, eliminating the need for frequent calibrations. High and low side sensors are selected for an operating range that will provide the highest accuracy for their desired measuring range, allowing accurate pressure measurement over the full range of either side. [.5%fs] The different range of pressure transducers for the high and low sides repectively are calibrated in regards to their zero points, coefficient of thermal expansion, and sensitivity so they can be applied in wide ranges of temperatures as extra high precision pressure transducers.

Ceramic pressure transducers are designed so the pressure sensitive part is exposed directly to the measured media. Because of excellent chemical resistance, ceramic pressure tranducers do not require additional protection from oils, refrigerants or acids and additionally will withstand shocks from normal to rough handling without effecting sensor calibration.

                                                                                               ~James Bergman~

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