Tips and Tricks

Question: BTD-1000 Superheat / Subcool measurement
Answer: Using the BTD-1000 Analyzer, the process of calculating system superheat and subcooling is much easier than before. All you need is a temperature sensor.

Suction Superheat:

  • On the analyzer, select the refrigerant being used in the system.
  • On your manifold, connect the low side hose to the low side of the system. Open both the low and high side manifold valves to to pressurize the both sides of the analyzer.
  • Take a temperature reading at the evaporator outlet.
  • Subtract the measured reading by the temperature shown on the right (high) side of the analyzer, the dew point. This difference is the suction superheat amount.Discharge Superheat:
  • On the analyzer, select the refrigerant being used in the system.
  • On your manifold, connect the high side hose to the high side of the system.
  • Take a temperature reading at the evaporator outlet.
  • Subtract the measured reading by the temperature shown on the right (high) side of the analyzer, the dew point. This difference is the discharge superheat amount.Subcool:
  • On the analyzer, select the refrigerant being used in the system.
  • On your manifold, connect the high side hose to the refrigeration system. Open both the high side and the low side manifold valves.
  • Take a temperature reading at the condensor outlet.
  • Subtract the temperature shown on the left (low) side of the analyzer, the bubble point, by the measured reading. This difference is the subcooling amount.Note: for zeotype blends or pure refrigerants, the dew and bubble points will be the same.
    • Question: Change btwn ASHRAE designation and traditional trade number displays
    Answer: To change between the two types of labels, follow the steps below:

    With power off, press and hold “R-?”. Press “PWR” momentarily. The unit should power on and the type of labels shown should be different than before.

    Note that for some refrigerants, there is no distinct trade number, like R-134A. In that case, it is displayed as “134”, without “R”.
    Question: Charging with DRSA-1100
    Answer: The proper way to charge a system is by superheat or subcooling (SH/SC). Based on the equipment manufacturer’s SH/SC tables and ambient conditions, the technician has a target SH or SC. The DRSA-1100, by automatically showing the superheat in real-time, can speed up charging by allowing you to quickly see if the charge is right. Depending on how good the technician is, this can save a lot of time on installations
    Question: Measuring Glide
    Answer: The glide of a blended refrigerant operating in a system is the difference between its bubble and dew temperatures at a certain pressure. To check using the analyzer, cross connect the gauges so both the low and high sides ports read the same pressure. Make sure to disconnect the other system conection first at the manifold. The glide is the difference between the dew and bubble points displayed. Note that the two pressure readings may not agree exactly due to accuracy tolerance.