Digital Aircon Gauges vs. Analog: A Comprehensive Comparison
HVAC technicians rely on AC manifold gauges as one of their most popular instruments. They are vital equipment for AC diagnosis and repair, from measuring refrigerant pressure to leak testing and refrigerant charging. These gauges were more than just a brass manifold with two dials for a long time. Although digital aircon gauges with backlit LCDs are now popular, some technicians may be hesitant to make the changeover. In this article, we'll evaluate the two kinds of gauges to assist field technicians in making the best decision possible.
HISTORY OF AIRCON GAUGES
An analog AC manifold gauge's main function is to measure refrigerant pressures before and after the compressor properly. The HVAC expert can then assess when there are too many or too few refrigerants in the unit for effective and convenient performance based on those two pressure measurements. Of course, you can use the manifold for additional purposes such as leak testing and evacuation. When using an analog gauge, the technician must still read the dials to obtain data. Then, he will perform extra computation or timekeeping to get the required diagnostic response.
Furthermore, because the scales required for each refrigerant appear on the gauge faces, you can only use a single gauge set with a few distinct refrigerants. As a result, technicians purchase and transport various gauge sets to prepare for all refrigerants now in use. With the current analog gauges, many technicians do their tasks pretty well, so what is left to improve?
NEW TECHNOLOGY
Two benefits emerge when analog dials are replaced with electronic pressure transducers and digital displays. It's the speed and accuracy. Digital pressure gauges can provide a precise numeric pressure reading faster than a professional staring at a needle. Even if analog aircon gauges are just as accurate, they can do it with higher precision.
Other test equipment has been steadily digitizing: analog multimeters used among electricians have long been substituted by Digital Multimeters (DMMs). It also took over traditional hygrometers and vacuum gauges. Even technicians who insist on using analog gauges for their HVAC temperature measurements utilize digital thermometers.
The Yellow Jacket 46060 Series 41, a marriage of a simple metal manifold with digital gauges, is a nice example of a basic digital manifold. A single CR123A battery powers its circuits that will run nonstop for two years if the backlight is off indefinitely.
Series 41 also demonstrates the third main benefit of digital gauges: their ability to work with a wide range of refrigerants without dial scales or refrigerant P-T charts. Series 41 is pre-programmed with 21 refrigerant profiles, removing the need for several gauge sets.
USING ANALOG OR DIGITAL AC GAUGES: WHICH IS BETTER?
Digital gauges are far preferable for testing and adjusting the charge, and they're necessary if you want precise superheat and subcooling data. Temperature clamps attach to the liquid and suction lines of digital gauges, which also built-in pressure-temperature charts. Therefore, the gauge set which refrigerant you want to test links the hoses and temperature clamps and gets real-time superheat and subcooling data. The error margin is narrow.
If you're utilizing analog gauges for vital charging, you'll have to read between the needle and gauge lines. You'll need to utilise a point chart to compute the temperature equivalent once you've guessed the pressure. After calculating that number, record a temperature reading on the appropriate line and subtract the two.
You'll misunderstand something, make a math mistake, convert a pt chart incorrectly, or all three. Even if you do everything correctly, the system pressure or temperature may have changed between the readings. By itself, this correction will introduce four to five degrees of error. It's significant when speaking about subcooling number objectives of 10 or 12 degrees, and you're off by six degrees.
WHAT HVAC PROFESSIONALS PREFER
Some manufacturers require dealers to charge with digital gauges if they want to continue selling that brand. These rules are usually in place because warranty returns have been received due to faulty charging techniques rather than actual defects. As a result, implementing digital aircon gauges is an attempt to reduce warranty returns while also running the company.
Analog gauges, on the other hand, have their place, especially if you're working on a system that has a bad burnout and has turned the oil into acid. You can't fit this into your $400 digital gauge set, so you return to the old analog instruments. When your digital gauge set breaks, analog is a great fallback alternative.
Analog vs. Digital Aircon Gauges
To summarise, it is impossible to say which sort of gauge is superior. While HVAC experts and manufacturers favour digital gauges because they are handier, an old-fashioned analog gauge can occasionally function just as well or even better. Preference is the final deciding factor. Keep a set of each sort of gauge on hand just in case you or a client needs it.