Your Heating Season Must-Have HVAC Tools Checklist 

Another year of heating season is upon us, and HVACR pros know what that means. It’s time for a rush of service requests for inspecting and servicing furnaces and heat pumps. It also means you need to be fully equipped to work quickly, efficiently and safely during the harsh temperature drops and potentially risky situations the season presents. 

Is your truck and tool bag outfitted with the right HVAC tools to take on even the toughest jobs?  

These essentials deliver the confidence and safety you need to get the job done right: 

• Combustion Analyzer. When you get to your first service call this heating season, you should be packing a combustion analyzer that is ready to detect and accurately measure gases like carbon monoxide, oxygen, carbon dioxide, draft pressures and more. Preferably, the combustion analyzer you use features real-time capabilities too, allowing you to troubleshoot while running combustion analysis and viewing trends, pressures and customer details all on one screen. And for those who are looking for even more bells and whistles, a combustion analyzer that automatically separates and returns accumulated water to the flue helps increase efficiency. 

• Carbon Monoxide Detector. Your safety and the safety of your customers should always be top-of-mind when conducting service calls and repairs. Rely on a carbon monoxide detector that gives you and your customers peace of mind; ideally, you’ll find one with fast reaction time to enable quicker and safer testing, and an electrochemical sensor that is fast enough for a “walk-around” test, reacting to changes in CO levels in real time. 

• Clamp Meter. Some service calls require you to troubleshoot an electrical system, and that is where a powerful wireless clamp meter comes in handy. While there are many clamp meters on the market, you want to use one that offers a bright display to help you work in any lighting; one that offers versatility and is packed with everything you need to install, service and troubleshoot any HVACR system; and hopefully, one that allows you to view electrical measurements from your mobile screen.  

• Dual Port Manometer. You need a dual port manometer that has the ranges to measure gas pressure, is great for diagnosing furnace performance, and has the resolution needed to measure static pressure (down to 0.01″ WC). Fortunately, there are dual port manometers with pressure switch testers that find faulty pressure switches and help calibrate adjustable pressure switches. 

• Psychrometer. Whether reading from a duct or register, techs need a reliable psychrometer that measures relative humidity accurately from anywhere on the system. To help enhance the way you work, you should opt for a psychrometer probe that handles extreme duct temperature as high as 250°F; has a flexible wand to enable easy placement anywhere on the system to help you avoid burns; and communicates seamlessly with your mobile phone with instant live readings.  

When conducting service calls and inspections and making repairs, play it safe by keeping essential heating season HVAC tools with you at all times. 

Did you know Fieldpiece offers a full portfolio of high-quality heating season tools? Check them out by visiting www.fieldpiece.com!