MASTERCOOL 56200 Blue Raptor Refrigerant Leak Detector
We can all agree that, by far, using electronic leak detectors is the most efficient way of finding leakages in your HVAC systems. Having one of these devices in your tool kit as a technician will save your time and money because of how sensitive they are at detecting leaks compared to other methods you would use.
Today, we want to discuss a common electronic leak detector that offers excellent services – the MASTERCOOL 56200 Blue Raptor Refrigerant Leak Detector. The manufacturer sent us this product for us to review it and to be honest, this unit performs well. What we loved most about it was that it could detect up to 0.1 grams per year. That’s a quite sensitive detector.
If you are wondering whether you should buy this product or not, we are here for you. Today, our article provides an in-depth review of the unit, what to expect from it, the pros and cons, and our opinion about it.
Without further ado, let’s jump right into it.
Brand
Before we look at the product features, let’s talk about the brand, MasterCool, a bit. I usually do this in almost all my product review articles because getting more information about the brand is essential in your buying process. Furthermore, reputable brands guarantee durable products, continuous support, and a good warranty for the product you buy.
So, what do you need to know about MasterCool? We’ve reviewed several of their products, including this refrigerant recovery cylinder tank, and this is what we found out.
MasterCool has been in the market for over 30 years. The brand focuses on manufacturing automotive and HVAC products for different markets around the world. Apart from being in the USA, they also have branches in over 60 countries, including Belgium and Brazil. Some of the products and accessories they invent include air blowers, vacuum pumps, brake line tools, and vacuum gauges, among so many others.
They also provide a one-year warranty for all their products. Once you buy the leak detector, register your product within 30 days of purchase to activate the warranty. I checked different reviews online about the brand, and I could only find positive comments about their services.
Product Features
When you buy this product, it comes as a kit. The kit includes a blow molded case containing the MASTERCOOL 56200 Blue Raptor Refrigerant Leak Detector, UV yellow glasses to protect your eyes from the blue rays, 2 “C” batteries, and a sensor tip.
The lead detector has a blue outer shell and features on it include a visual leak indicators and a keypad control with six buttons. The buttons include UV light, Mute, power, reset, and up and down buttons for sensitivity. At the furthest end is a flexible 16-inch probe. Attached to it, is a sensor tip that operates for 20 hours at full potential. You will also find a UV/Blue LED light attached to the sensor tip as an alternative leak detection method.
Operating the device
It’s fair to say that this device is relatively easy to use. The manufacturer provides a detailed user manual whose instructions were easy to follow. You get essential information on the best way to use the device, from installing the battery to checking the leaks.
After inserting the batteries, test them to see how efficient they are by pressing and holding the power button. Green indicates that the batteries have enough charge, while red indicates that you need to replace them. ,
The unit offers up to 6 levels of sensitivity. When you power the device on, it will show the default sensitivity of 5. You can then set it to your preferred level depending on how far or close you want the to be to the leakage when detecting the leaks. When you press the up or down buttons, it will indicate the level with red color on the LED lights. It should have all the lights red when the unit is at the highest sensitivity level.
Additionally, the MASTERCOOL 56200 provides the user with up to 15 levels of detection. It will sound the alarm and show you the level of detection using three colors, namely red, yellow, and green.
Pros
Compared to other products in the market, what are some of the benefits of buying this Refrigerant Leak Detector?
This video explains how well this product works:
Let’s start with the two leak detection options. You can detect leaks using the sensor tip or the UV blue light. The UV blue light is helpful if you use an ultra-violet colored dye to check for leakages. This gives the user an option to use the leak detector in different situations, such as when looking for leakages in a dirty environment.
Another quality we loved about this unit was its level of sensitivity. You have up to seven levels. On top of that, the leak detector will detect up to 0.1 ounces per year. Hence, you can use it to detect small amounts of leakages and for a long time. We also liked this unit because it detect leakages quickly. It has an in-built micro-processing technology, which provides instant results. You only need to hover over the surface for one or two seconds unlike other leak detectors, which require you to hover around the affected areas for long.
If it detects a leakage, you will hear an increased alarm rate. Therefore, it’s easy to differentiate between intermittent and continuous leakages on the pipe, coils, or joint. If you don’t want to hear the audible beeps and use the LED lights instead to identify leakages, press the mute button.
We also liked that it comes with battery detection functionality. You’ll be able to know when to replace the battery beforehand.
Other benefits of using this leak detector include:
- The flexible 16-inch probe makes the device ideal for small and tight spaces
- It’s ready to use right out of the box
- The device comes with a one-year warranty
- It can also detect all kinds of refrigerants, including CFCs, HCFCs, and blends
- I enjoyed using the user manual; the instructions were clear and informative
Cons
I checked for different reviews on Amazon, and surprisingly, some people complained that the product they got wasn’t working. This can happen if there’s a problem with that specific device. The best thing to do is to contact customer care and maybe get a replacement. You can also refer to the user manual to get information on how to use the device effectively.
Another problem I experienced with this unit is that it doesn’t have a recharging port. Of course, the “C” batteries are rechargeable, but you may have to buy a separate charger to charge them. For a leak detector of this price range, having an inbuilt charging system on the device can probably enhance effectiveness.
By the way, I noticed that when the batteries are low, the unit would give false leak detection and very loud and annoying beeps.
We also have a problem with the sensor’s life. I checked online, and some of the leak detectors on the market have a long lifespan of 50 to 1000 hours. For the MASTERCOOL 56200, the lifespan is 20 hours. Although they provide a replacement, I think including a sensor with a long life would have been better.
Conclusion
That’s all you need to know about the MASTERCOOL 56200 Blue Raptor Refrigerant Leak Detector. To be honest, even though this unit has its drawbacks, we really enjoyed using this product. You should, too, especially if you are looking for a leak detector that can detect leakages as small as 0.1 ounces per year. Besides that, the product comes at a reasonable price, and it’s ready to use out of the box.
So, if you’d like to know more about this leak detector, check out the Amazon Buy Page.