ASH3: Superheat for R22 & R410a Accessory Head

Charge to Subcooling or Superheat

• Measures suction or liquid line pressure and temp
• Calculates superheat for R22 and R410A
• Easily calibrates to current atmospheric pressure
• Includes the ATC1 pipe clamp thermocouple. Jaw Opening to 35mm   

The ASH3 calculates actual superheat in real time using built in P/T charts. It can also be used to  measure liquid line or high side line temperature and pressure for other diagnostic. Use it to get actual superheat on R-22 and R-410A fixed orifice systems and on TXV / TEV regulated systems.  Use the “T” fitting to charge to actual superheat by putting the ASH in-line between your refrigerant bottle and the system.

Can be used with the HG2 System Analyser for Temperature or Superheat with this ASH3 Accessory Head - Make it Wireless with the EH4W kit.

ASH3 Superheat Accessory Head, which enables DMMs to measure superheat for both R22 and R410A. It does this by measuring both suction line pressure and suction line temperature simultaneously and calculating superheat. The user can display suction line pressure, suction line temperature and superheat. At $179, the ASH3 can pay for itself in time savings when using superheat to diagnose an air conditioner. The ASH3 includes not only the accessory head but also the Fieldpiece Instruments’ ATC1 Pipe Clamp Thermocouple. The ATC1 is a spring-loaded thermocouple clamp that’s designed to easily take suction line pipe temperatures. It firmly holds the thermocouple junction up against the suction line temperature measurements. The ASH3 has a “Stable Indicator” LED which is important when measuring superheat. It tells the user that the reading is stable. In addition, the head comes with a brass “T” so the head can be connected in-line when used with gauges, or can be used by itself on the end of a hose without the “T”. The ASH3 accessory head works with all of Fieldpiece’s modular instruments. It slides on to the HS30 series stick meter. The ASH3 head can also be used with the data logger to record measurements over time. When used with the Fieldpiece Electronic Handle, EHDL1, it acts as a standalone tool. It also connects to most DMMs using Fieldpiece's AHDL1 adapter handle.

“Now every technician can easily and quickly measure superheat. No more winging it!” said Rey Harju of Fieldpiece Instruments. “The ASH3 measures both suction line pressure and temperature at once, for either R-22 or R410-A refrigerant. And it works with the instruments you already have. Plus, as a bonus, you get the ATC1 thermocouple pipe clamp. You can use it with all your other Fieldpiece instruments." The included ATC1 thermocouple clamp can be used on pipe sizes from 3/8” to 1 ½” which covers most refrigerator pipes.

ABOUT SUPERHEAT
Measuring superheat is important because it can prevent damage to the air conditioner and make it run more efficiently. Superheat is the difference between the boiling point temperature of the refrigerant in the evaporator coil and the actual temperature of the refrigerant (gas) as it leaves the evaporator. After boiling, the refrigerant continues to warm up. The number of degrees it “warmed up” after boiling is called the superheat. Under worst case conditions (low load), the refrigerant in the evaporator boils off near the end of the evaporator coil. To make sure liquid doesn’t enter the compressor under the worst case condition (low load), the AC manufacturers publish charts indicating what the superheat should be at a given indoor wet bulb measurement and outdoor air temperature. If the superheat is too high, the air conditioner will be inefficient. If superheat is too low, you risk flooding the compressor. You can change the superheat by adding or taking away refrigerant.

Measuring superheat is the best indication on a fixed orifice system of the proper refrigerant charge and operating conditions. If everything else is working properly and the actual superheat is too high, add refrigerant. If it is too low, remove refrigerant. Using superheat to determine proper charge enables an air conditioner to deliver the best reliability and the best efficiency.