Fieldpiece Instruments, manufacturer of professional-grade instruments for HVAC/R field service, introduces the HVAC Guide guided probe tester, the HVAC industry’s first easy-to-use, hand-held instrument that leads field technicians step-by-step through the most common HVAC tests, including Target Evaporator Exit Temp, Superheat, Subcooling, and Combustion Analysis.

The technician selects a test on the dial and simply fills out the Iinput Form and then reads the diagnosis from the Output Form. Data can be entered automatically using Fieldpiece’s accessory heads, or manually from any other instrument, such as pressure gauges. No charts, tables, or calculations are needed. The HVAC Guide tester stores up to 200 tests that can be downloaded to a PC for easy customer tracking and data organization. Each set of test data contains a customer ID and a time stamp. Stored tests can be sent to the office for easy billing or for supervisors to check their technicians’ work. Work orders can be printed out for better customer service. Upgrades will be available as additional tests and practices are developed and can be downloaded from the company’s website.

Some common service issues, including the following, are addressed by the HVAC Guide tester: improper refrigerant charge that causes call-backs, improper airflow and  improperly adjusted furnace or water heater that can cause customer complaints about it being too hot or too cold. According to the company’s press release, dual temperature head, dry bulb thermocouple, wet bulb thermocouple, USB cable, PC software and a padded nylon case are included with the HVAC Guide tester.