For HVAC&R tradies, every second on the job counts. Testo continues to innovate, helping tradies save time on jobs and making every task more efficient, and no more is that evident than with their new 565i Smart Vacuum Pump.
Evacuation jobs on refrigeration systems and heat pumps are notorious for taking technicians hours to do.
A lot of that is standing around watching meters tick on by, all the while other work could be getting done.
In-keeping with its drive to modernise HVAC&R processes, Testo has introduced the new 565i Smart Vacuum Pump to suck tonnes of time out of each job.
Technician Vito Giarratana from V&G Refrigeration Services was more than up to the task for testing the 565i out on a refrigeration unit in Bentleigh.
Testo has two 565i models differentiated by the pump capacity; one with a flow rate of 7cfm and the other 10cfm. We have tested the former.
Test #1: Vac-ation
Vito needed the 565i to vacuum a refrigeration system before putting refrigerant back into it.
It was super simple and quick for Vito to attach the necessary hoses to the unit, and he was blown away by just how quickly it worked.
“We needed to bring the unit down to about 300 microns,” Vito said.
“We’ve pressure tested it to make sure it’s tight … in the 14 mins we were chatting after starting it up, it was already below 1000 microns which is really great.”
Once the target vacuum level is achieved, the 565i with a 552i Vacuum Probe connected via Bluetooth® will automatically begin the vacuum holding test to check tightness. Vito undertook this process with the added peace of mind that the 565i’s one-way/non-return valve would keep things from going sideways.
“You can do everything right – but sometimes things can go wrong,” he said.
“You could pressure test – there’s no leaking and you put it on VAC – but then the electrician will shut off the power and you’ve lost the VAC.
“When that happens, you could suck in a lot of moisture, so you’ll have to spend a lot of time cleaning the system.
“The fact this has a one-way valve is probably the key feature for me.
“It means I can go and do other work and know this won’t lose VAC if something goes wrong.”
Test #2: ON THE APPS
Like other Testo tools, the 565i utilises the testo Smart App.
“If something’s happened during the process, I can see it on the app,” Vito said.
“I can see exactly what time it switched off, who’s responsible and what’s happened.”
The app seamlessly connects to the vacuum pump and vacuum probe, which means technicians like Vito aren’t stuck by the equipment when they could be doing other jobs.
“I could see it on my phone from anywhere else in the building.”
“I checked in while I was doing other stuff and could see the vacuum was still pulling.”
Even better; Vito was pumped to be able to generate customised reports via the app, which included measurements, graphics … the works!
All easily accessible for him and his customers.
Not only is the 565i all for the modern tradie, but it’s also built for the rising use of flammable refrigerants in classes A3 and A2L.
While Vito mostly works with freon, he said it was awesome to use a vacuum that catered to a wide array of refrigerants.
Pump it up
The work Vito was doing only ended up taking about 3 1/2 hours, which for the work he was doing was incredibly quick.
“To hold at about 300 microns was unreal, I was really impressed with how it performed,” he said.
For technicians working in smaller teams – or even solo – this vacuum is designed to work without constant supervision to allow for maximum efficiency on-site.
check it out
Find out more by searching Smart Vacuum pumps here