Hot take: I swapped my old leak detector for a newer ultrasonic model last week

The old soap bubble method took forever on a tricky evaporator coil leak, but the ultrasonic unit found it in under two minutes. It cost me $350, but it saved a whole service call's worth of time. What's the best tool upgrade you've made lately that really paid off?

3 comments

3 Comments

jenny_hall27d ago

Okay, but that "saved a whole service call's worth of time" idea is where I see it differently. A tool that expensive only pays for itself if you're finding leaks all the time. For a lot of guys doing mostly installs or simple repairs, the old soap bubbles work just fine and cost almost nothing. Spending that much feels like a solution looking for a problem unless leaks are your daily headache.

lunaf6727d agoMost Upvoted

My uncle was a plumber and swore by the soap method too. He'd get so mad when the fancy tool guys acted like he was still using a horse and buggy.

ericj4526d ago

Ever feel like you're fighting the tool instead of the problem? I was the same way with my old manifold gauges. The hoses were stiff, the valves stuck, it was a whole thing. Upgrading to a set with ball valves and flexible hoses changed my life on every single pressure test and vacuum. I get what @lunaf67 is saying about old ways working, but sometimes the new gear just lets you focus on the actual job.