miniTracer™ User Manual
Contents
1. LED 2 4 CHANGE SETTING OF THE CATEGORY 8 2010 LACO TECHNOLOGIES INC 8 SAMPLE PROCEDURE LACO LEAK DETECTOR MANUAL MINITRACER PORTABLE SNIFFER Put the Range switch to the left to go down in value when pressing the Zero button Momentarily press the Zero button to change the setting to the first LED The Alarm Mode is now OFF 5 SAVE TO MEMORY AND EXIT CATEGORY Press and hold the Zero button until you hear the second beep approximately three seconds and then release The new value has been saved to flash and you have exited the Alarm Mode category The instrument is still in Program Mode and the category 6 LED will be lit You can now go to another category and enter it or you can exit Program Mode 6 EXIT PROGRAM MODE Press and hold the Zero button until you hear the double beep approximately six seconds and then release You are now out of Program Mode and the leak detector will be under normal operation The miniTRACER operates off an internal battery When the battery is discharged the Power Indicator will begin flashing The instrument may continue to run when the light is flashing However the unit will shut down automatically when the battery is discharged to a point that it will no longer operate correctly When using the supplied 9 Volt AC adaptor the instrument will operate and slowly recharge the battery To fully charge the battery switch the instrument power OFF and allo2. 4 TECHNOLOGIES LACS USER MANUAL PORTABLE SNIFFER CONTACT US LACS PHONE FAX Toll Free 800 465 1004 Phone 801 486 1004 Fax 801 486 1007 ADDRESS LACO Technologies Inc 3085 West Directors Row Salt Lake City UT 84104 WEB www lacotech com info lacotech com SMT 07 1006 Rev B3 ii 2010 LACO TECHNOLOGIES INC CONTENTS 5 LEAK 4 6 INSTRUMENT SETTING DESCRIPTIONS 6 7 NAVIGATING THE MENU 7 8 SAMPLE PROCEDURE 8 9 CHARGING THE BATTERY 9 9 10 2010 LACO TECHNOLOGIES INC LACO LEAK DETECTOR MANUAL MINITRACER PORTABLE SNIFFER This manual contains operation maintenance and troubleshooting information for miniTracer portable sniffer leak detector Our leak detectors are designed to ensure safety when used properly It is the responsibility of the user to follow safety related warnings cautions notes and other requirements described in this manual The miniTracer is a sensitive precise leak detector designed for simple operation and exact identification of system leaks in lab and industrial applications Utilizing thermal conductivity to pinpoint gas leaks from pressurized systems the highly sensitive miniTracer offers precise detec
3. Zero button The next lower LED will illuminate You may now save the value to memory or exit without saving If you exit without saving the new value will remain in use until the unit is powered off The next time the power is turned on the old value will be used 7 5 SAVETHE VALUE MEMORY Press and hold the Zero button until you hear a second beep approximately three seconds The new value for that category will be saved to flash The category will be exited and the category number will be displayed on the LED bar graph You may now change to a different category or exit the Program Mode 7 6 EXIT PROGRAM MODE Press and hold the Zero button until you hear a double beep approximately six seconds The power indicator will illuminate the instrument is now ready to normal operation 81 CHANGING THE ALARM MODE 1 ENTER PROGRAM MODES Press and hold the Zero button until you hear the double beep approximately six seconds and then release The instrument is now in Program Mode and the first category LED will be illuminated 2 CHANGE THE CATEGORY With the Range switch to the right momentarily press the Zero button until the 6th LED illuminates Alarm Mode Category 3 ENTER CATEGORIES Press and hold the Zero button until you hear the second beep approximately three seconds and then release The instrument has entered the Alarm Mode category The current setting of the Alarm Mode will now be displayed on the LEDs
4. probe assembly 3 Sensitivity has decreased 4 Sample line probe has been punctured Replace probe assembly 5 Probe assembly leaking Replace probe assembly 6 Pump operating improperly Replace pump 7 Check instrument settings Reset to factory defaults if necessary 10 2010 LACO TECHNOLOGIES INC 11 TROUBLE SHOOTING LACO LEAK DETECTOR MANUAL MINITRACER PORTABLE SNIFFER 11 3 REPAIR SERVICE If repair service is needed the instrument should be returned to the factory for repair Before returning the instrument contact our repair department to obtain a Return Material Authorization number RMA and a Health and Safety Declaration form Instruments returned without these items will not be allowed to enter our facilities 11 2010 LACO TECHNOLOGIES INC
5. sampling rate must be low enough so dilution will be negligible yet high enough to insure reasonable speed of response The probe is moved slowly around the suspected area and covers all possible sources of leaks and the display or indicator is carefully observed during the entire time it is possible to locate very minute leaks The location of the display s indicator is not important A leak is usually noted by deflection of the indicator The indication will be to the right with the polarity indicator being ON or OFF depending on the gas located The suspect area should be reprobed after a short time to insure a leak was picked up and not some extraneous effect The indication of leaks requires careful probing and rechecking of the area when indications are noted Table 5 Gas Sensitivity MINIMUM LEAK RATE REQUIRED TO PRODUCE 10 DEFLECTION OF FULL SCALE Helium He 1 0 x 10 5 cc sec Argon Ar 1 0 x 10 4 cc sec CO2 1 0 x 10 4 cc sec Refrigerant 1 0 x 10 4 cc sec 40 H2 60 He fuel mixture 1 0 x 10 5 cc sec 0 012 cu ft yr 0 012 cu ft yr 0 012 cu ft yr 0 012 cu ft yr 0 012 cu ft yr Carbon Dioxide 11 1 INSTRUMENT WILL NOT ZERO 1 Check for clogged probe or obstructed reference inlet 2 Check instrument settings Reset to factory defaults if necessary 11 2 RESPONSE TIME HAS INCREASED 1 Diaphragm on pump 15 leaking Replace diaphragm 2 Sample line probe has become punctured Replace
6. GE CAUTION miniTracer Leak Detector is designed to determine low level leaks of any gas having a different thermal conductivity than air and must not be used to determine leaks of combustible gases 2 2010 LACO TECHNOLOGIES INC LACO LEAK DETECTOR MANUAL MINITRACER PORTABLE SNIFFER 4 BASIC OPERATION 41 FRONT DISPLAY PANELS AND CONTROLS Figure 3 1 Front Panel Display and Controls Polarity Indicator Dual Function LED Display Power Indicator Zero Button Power Switch Range Switch Table 2 miniTracer Display Panels and Controls CONTROL DESCRIPTION POLARITY INDICATOR LED is ON in the presence of air or any noncorrosive gas with relative thermal conductivity greater than 1 00 air LED is OFF in the presence of any noncorrosive gas with a relative thermal conductivity less than 1 00 air POWER INDICATOR IIluminates when miniTracer is READY to locate leaks Flashes ON and OFF when internal battery requires charging POWER SWITCH OFF ON switches from standby to normal operating mode RANGE SWITCH LO HI Sensitivity Use LO for locating larger gas leaks and HI position for locating lower level gas leaks Use Cursor Direction Dictator within programming mode ZERO BUTTON Initiates ZERO function Adjusts measurement baseline for current environmental operation conditions Use to enter programming mode save programmed settings exit and mov
7. area allow the LED indicators to reset to zero manually reset to zero if necessary and return probe to the suspected location to verify the leak For more detailed information on leak detector sensitivity refer to Section10 SENSITIVITY 5 2010 LACO TECHNOLOGIES INC FACTORY DEFAULT INSTRUMENT SETTINGS DESCRIPTION Alarm SET POINT LED PEAK HOLD DELAY LED Brightness Buzzer volume LO range sensitivity HI range sensitivity Alarm mode TC filter average Drift elimination Motor speed Software Ref LED 2 6 1 Table 3 Instrument Settings LED SETTING RANGE LED 1 20 1 20 20 maximum LED 2 1 1 1 minimum LED 3 6 1 6 6 brightest LED 4 3 1 7 7 loudest LED 5 1 1 20 20 least sensitive LED 6 10 1 20 1 most sensitive LED 7 2 1 4 4 SOUND AFTER FULL range LED 8 20 1 20 1 LEAST averaging LED 9 11 1 20 20 highest elimination LED 11 15 1 20 1 slowest LED 19 9 9 Latest revision 9 Table 4 LED Control Descriptions LED DESCRIPTION Sets the LED that will trip the alarm Sets the number of seconds for the peak hold The LED number is equal to the number of HOLD seconds i e an LED setting of 3 will set the hold at three seconds Sets the LED brightness Brightness changes in relation to the LED number i e he lower the LED setting the greater the brightness The higher the LED setting the less bright the LED becomes Sets the buzzer v
8. e or instrument housing carbon dioxide CO2 exhaled can be drawn into the probe or REF reference chamber of the leak detector causing a deflection of the LEDs 4 2010 LACO TECHNOLOGIES INC Sample Probe Inlet 5 LEAK TESTING LACO LEAK DETECTOR MANUAL MINITRACER PORTABLE SNIFFER CAUTION When checking for leaks it is imperative that fittings suspected leak areas dry If the area has previously been checked with a water based bubble type solution and has not been dried low readings as well as possible detector contamination will occur The thermal conductivity of water vapor will counteract the signal from helium leaks The resulting effect will be relatively no LED or audio signal output CAUTION Do not allow moisture to be drawn into the probe NOTE _ If helium is being checked a leak will cause the LEDs to illuminate to the right with the Polarity Indicator in the ON position while most other gases or vapors will deflect the LEDs to the right with the Polarity Indicator in the OFF position 5 2 CHECKING FOR LEAKS Using the probe carefully move the tip around and over suspected joints seals seams or other areas where leaks occur The probe must be moved slowly to detect small leaks The net effect will be no or low display readings 53 FINDING LEAKS A leak is indicated if deflection of the LEDs is seen or an audible signal is heard Remove the probe form the
9. e programming cursor Refer to Section 6 0 DUAL FUNCTION LED Leak detection indicator and instrument programming DISPLAY status indication 3 2010 LACO TECHNOLOGIES INC LACO LEAK DETECTOR MANUAL MINITRACER PORTABLE SNIFFER 42 BACK PANEL Figure 3 2 Back Panel Reference Inlet Power Adaptor Connector 43 OPERATING THE MINITRACER 1 Switch power ON power indicator will be illuminated 2 Allow instrument to stabilize Longer stabilization periods may be needed depending upon operating conditions or environment 3 Select the range LO or HI appropriate for the target gas 4 While holding the measurement probe set instrument ZERO level by pressing the panel button until a single beep is heard The instrument is now ready to locate leaks 5 Move the probe slowly toward the target area Take care not to exhale on or near the measurement probe or instrument itself If working in range it may be necessary to isolate your hand from the probe by use of a nonpermeable glove 6 Monitor the instrument front panel When a gas is detected relative to the ZERO level the LED display will show an increasing number of indicators 5 1 BEFORE YOU BEGIN Before checking for leaks note the following CAUTION Extreme caution must be exercised when the probe is operating near electrical heaters switches and other electrical devices CAUTION Avoid exhaling near the prob
10. olume Volume changes in relation to the LED setting i e the higher the LED setting the louder the buzzer becomes The lower the LED setting the quieter the buzzer becomes Sensitivity changes in relation to the LED number i e the lower the LED setting the more sensitive the instrument becomes The higher the setting the less sensitive the leak detector becomes Sensitivity changes in relation to the LED setting i e the lower the LED number setting the more sensitive the instrument becomes The higher the setting the less sensitive the leak detector becomes ALARM SET POINT LED 1 PEAK HOLD DELAY LED 2 LED BRIGHTNESS LED 3 BUZZER VOLUME LED 4 LO RANGE SENSITIVITY LED 5 HI RANGE SENSITIVITY LED 6 6 2010 LACO TECHNOLOGIES INC LACO LEAK DETECTOR MANUAL MINITRACER PORTABLE SNIFFER 6 INSTRUMENT SETTING DESCRIPTIONS LACO LEAK DETECTOR MANUAL MINITRACER PORTABLE SNIFFER LED DESCRIPTION ALARM MODE LED 7 Sets the alarm mode 1 OFF 2 On Audio only 3 N A 4 N A TIME CONSTANT Sets the number of measurement samples averaged AVERAGE LED 8 before a reading is displayed The higher the setting the more measurement samples are averaged DRIFT ELIMINATION Acts as a SLOW AUTO ZERO It is only active when more LED 9 than 3 LEDs are on The higher the LED setting the faster the SLOW AUTO ZERO reacts A
11. t the lowest setting the fastest SLOW AUTO ZERO reaction is 90 seconds At the highest setting the fastest it will react is 14 seconds PUMP SPEED The higher the LED setting the faster the pump motor LED 11 runs and is an adjustment of flow through the instrument SOFTWARE REVISION Indicates the current software revision LED 19 71 ENTER PROGRAM MODE Press and hold the Zero button until you hear a double beep approximately 6 seconds The first LED will be illuminated signifying the first category 7 2 CHANGE A CATEGORY To move to a higher category place the Range switch in the HI position and momentarily press the Zero button The next higher LED will illuminate To move to a lower category place the Range switch in the LO range and press the Zero button The next lower LED will illuminate 73 ENTER A CATEGORY Press and hold the Zero button until you hear a second beep approximately three seconds The current setting for that particular category will be displayed on the LED bar graph 7 2010 LACO TECHNOLOGIES INC 7 NAVIGATING THE MENU LACO LEAK DETECTOR MANUAL MINITRACER PORTABLE SNIFFER 7 4 CHANGE THE VALUE OF A CATEGORY To move to a higher value place the Range switch in the HI position and momentarily press the Zero button The next higher LED will illuminate To move to a lower value place the Range switch in the LO position and momentarily press the
12. tion of gas leaks from pressurized systems 21 PRODUCT INCLUSIONS 6 power cord 3 sampling probe A thermistor type thermal conductivity detector TCD Vibrator type pump Printed circuit board 2 2 FEATURES Dual power source operates on either 120 volts 60 Hz or ona single internal rechargeable Ni Cd battery An audible tone generator that allows leak testing without visually scanning the meter HI LO sensitivity settings Soap and solution free detection 1 2010 LACO TECHNOLOGIES INC 1 SCOPE 2 OVERVIEW LACO LEAK DETECTOR MANUAL MINITRACER PORTABLE SNIFFER 3 SPECIFICATIONS Table1 miniTracer Specifications COMPONENT DESCRIPTION DETECTOR Thermal Conductivity Cell FEATURES Low battery alarm Very low battery shutdown Flash memory for saving settings e Microprocessor controlled PUMP Diaphragm type LINE VOLTAGE Model LHHLD 1000 115 V 60 Hz VISUAL READOUT LED bar graph featuring adjustable brightness peak hold with settable duration BATTERY Rechargeable Ni Cd 3 6 V 800 mAh BATTERY LIFE 7 8 hours RANGES Low x1 High x100 Adjustable span per range ZERO Manual with drift elimination AUDIO SIGNAL Audible alarm with adjustable set point and volume DIMENSIONS 3 25 W 1 81 x 5 25 20 955 4 5974 x 13 335 cm WEIGHT Instrument 1 05 Ibs 476 grams ACCESSORIES Carrying Case OPERATING TEMP 70 F 20 F 21 C 11 C RAN
13. w to charge for approximately six to seven hours Before a definition of sensitivity can be resolved it is necessary to consider the various parameters involved Sensitivity of an instrument is associated with its ability to detect gaseous mixtures from a filled system maintained at constant concentration The leak detector is capable of detecting leaks as small as 10 5 atm cc sec Detecting a leak of this magnitude requires a skilled operator In many applications the escape rate is so low that the sample drawn into the detector is diluted if the sample rate is too high Consider the case of a filled system with definitive volume Here if the sample is removed from the volume it must be replaced if pressure is to remain the same A tank filled with helium air will change in concentration if a sample is withdrawn at a constant pressure If a leak from a gas filled system into the atmosphere occurs at ambient temperatures and pressures it is extremely important it be detected as close to the leak point as possible The escape rate if lower than the sampling rate will be reflected by a deflection of the indicating device 9 2010 LACO TECHNOLOGIES INC 9 CHARGING THE BATTERY 10 SENSITIVITY LACO LEAK DETECTOR MANUAL MINITRACER PORTABLE SNIFFER followed by a reverse deflection as dilution occurs In the case of such a leak the sample drawn through the probe and the rate of flow in the tube must be considered The
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