Testo ushers in smarter, simpler measuring for refrigeration and HVAC engineers

Instrument specialist says range of Smart Probes and dedicated App will enable quicker, economical alternative to infrared cameras and digital manifolds

Testo, the German measurement technology experts, have launched a range of Smart Probes, offering true ‘pocket-sized’ professional measuring instruments. The devices, available in versions dedicated to different applications from refrigeration to air movement to heating, can be intuitively operated by smartphone or tablet using a free App.

The manufacturer says the Smart Probes can calculate all important temperature, humidity, pressure and flow velocity measurements, with special sets to meet the specific needs of refrigeration, air conditioning and heating contractors.

Testo UK HVAC business unit manager Mike Murley said: “It allows an engineer to quickly gather all the measurements they need without lots of setting up and to provide reports using the App.”

The £165 refrigeration set comprises two pairs of probes which can be set on high and low pressure sides to calculate subcooling automatically, providing an alternative to digital manifolds.

He said: “We sell conventional digital manifolds ourselves, but they require hoses. This option is a user-friendly economical alternative.”

The range of eight compact measuring instruments can be connected to a smartphone or tablet via Bluetooth, and intuitively operated via an App.

Testo UK said “Despite their small format, the Smart Probes are equipped with the market leader’s customary professional measurement technology.”

The probes connect simply to the App via Bluetooth, without requiring pairing.

The Testo Smart Probes App can be installed for free as an iOS or Android download, and offers the user a range of practical functions, including clear measurement value readout, curve display of the measurement data in graph or tabular form. The recorded measurement data can be stored and sent as a PDF report or Excel file.

Mr Murley said: “One of the real benefits is that if a contractor has contact details in his device’s address book, he can input those details directly into the report.”

Testo says that a range of application-specific measurement menus make working with the Smart Probes even more efficient and even allow the measurements from up to six Smart Probes to be combined.

A key advantage, Mr Murley said, is that organisations can create an audit trail without the conventional requirement for a separate printer.

The company said the Smart Probe series can cater for a wide range of other applications, such as utility companies installing Smart Meters needing to check the tightness of gas pipes; heating engineers balancing radiators through checks of flow and return temperatures; or landlords needing to survey properties for risk of mould, who can use the dedicated mould test in the Smart Probe App, which uses temperature and humidity measurements.

Mr Murley said: “There are still a lot of people measuring gas pressure with analogue U-gauges, but this offers a digital option with a built-in audit trail.”

To make it easier for refrigeration, air conditioning and heating contractors to select all the measuring instruments necessary for their daily jobs, Testo has designed a tailor-made set for each target group at a special price, within its Smart Case, a robust carrying case which the company says is much lighter than a typical toolbox.

The range:

Testo 115i: Clamp Thermometer to measure flow and return temperature; temperature measurement on refrigeration systems for automatic calculation of superheating and subcooling. Measuring range -40 deg C to 150 deg C

Price: £39

Testo 905i: Thermometer to measure air temperature in rooms, ducts and air outlets. Measuring range -50 deg C to 150 deg C. Price: £49

Testo 805i: Infrared thermometer for noncontact measurement of surface temperature; Measurement spot marking using 8-point laser; emissivity can be selected using stored material list. Measuring range: -30 deg C to 250 deg C. Price: £59

Testo 605i: Thermo-hygrometer to measure air humidity and temperature; automatic calculation of the dewpoint and wetbulb temperature. Measuring range: -20 deg C to 60 deg C and 0 to 100 per cent RH. Price: £59

Testo 405i: Thermal anemometer to measure air flow velocity; volumetric flow and temperature; telescopic shaft extendable up to 400 mm; allows easy configuration of geometry of duct cross-section for determining volume flow. Measuring range 0 to 30 m/sec and -20 deg to 60 deg C. Price £69.

Testo 410i: Vane anemometer to measure air flow velocity, volumetric flow and temperature; enables parameterisation of the outlet in terms of dimensions and geometry. Measuring range: 0.4 to 30 m/sec and -20 deg C to 60 deg C. Price £69.

Testo 510i: Differential pressure measuring instrument, for measuring of gas flow pressure and static pressure; measurement menu for pressure-drop test; magnetic fixture for attachment to radiator etc. Measuring range: -150 to 150 mbar. Price: £45.

Testo 549i: High pressure measuring instrument for measurement of high and low pressure; easy installation of pressure connection; low refrigerant loss due to hose-less connection. Measuring range: -1 to 60 bar. Price: £45.

Refrigeration set: 2x 549i and 2x 115i in Smart Case. Price: £165

VAC set: 405i, 410i, 605i and 805i in Smart Case. Price: £239

Heating set: 115i, 510i and 805i in Smart Case. Price: £159

Source: RAC Plus

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