Comparison of Refrigerant Leak Detection Methods:
1. Soap bubble method: Detects leaks by observing bubbles; low cost, simple, but insensitive to micro-leaks, inconvenient to operate, suitable for preliminary checks and locating large leaks.
2. Electronic leak detector: Uses a sensor for detection; high sensitivity, portable, but susceptible to interference and requires maintenance; the most commonly used method for precise leak location in repair situations.
3. Fluorescent leak detection: Uses ultraviolet light to excite fluorescence; intuitive, accurate, traceable, but requires prior addition of fluorescent dye and is a post-detection method; suitable for finding difficult-to-detect micro-leaks and for regular maintenance.
4. Infrared imaging method: Detects temperature differences; efficient, long-range, intuitive, but extremely expensive; suitable for rapid screening of large systems and complex pipelines.
5. Pressure test method: Detects pressure changes; highly reliable and serves as the final verification standard, but cannot pinpoint the leak location and is time-consuming; used to confirm system airtightness after repairs.
