If you plan on being an hvac technician and servicing air conditioning units for a living then you will need the proper hvac tools to do so. Before you want to get any of these tools you will have to become HVAC certified, otherwise known as EPA 608 certified, well not all of the tools but most of them. So let me get you started with some hvac training on the tools that you will need day to day. This is assuming that you will be troubleshooting and replacing hvac systems that are in residential homes or apartments.
You will need some gauges, this is necessary to know the pressure of the hvac system, and also necessary to remove or recover refrigerant, as to add refrigerant to the system if it is necessary. Make sure that you have a set of gauges that will be able to detect the pressure of the type of refrigerant of the system you will most likely to be working on. There are gauges made for residential homes and there are ones that are specifically made fro refrigerators, cars, chillers etc.
For residential air conditioning units you will have an hvac tool setup in your gauges that will consist of 2 gauges and three hoses. The left side gauge will be colored blue, and it will also have a blue hose, this indicates the low pressure side of the hvac system. The right side will consist of a high pressure gauge that is colored red, and will also have a red hose and it is used for measuring the pressure of the refrigerant that is leaving the condenser. The normal pressure in Florida is around 250 for the high side and around 70 for the low side.
There will also a hose that is in the middle that will be colored yellow, and this is the charging hose, which you will use if you are either charging an hvac system or you are recovering refrigerant from an hvac system. Now air conditioning gauges can range from a 100 dolloars or more for a full a set up. Some options that you might consider are low pressure fittings for your gauges. Not only do low pressure fittings help save the atmosphere they also prevent you from freezing your hand, which happens when you release the fitting on the high side of the gauge, refrigerant will go everywhere.
Now you will also need a recovery tank, and another option is to have a recovery machine, they can be pricey bit if you are in this as a business you have to have one. You cannot just simply bleed the refrigerant into the atmosphere, if you are certified then you should know this, that you have to recover it and recycle it as it screws up the stratosphere.
Some other good hvac tools to have are the shraeder vavle tool, this will allow you to remove the valve on the high and low side of the compressor, which is neccessary when replacing a condenser or removing liquid from an hvac system. You will have to have this, they can range from a couple dollars up to 50, it is an investment and I use my shraeder valve tool almost every day.
A vacuum pump will also be necessary for the HVAC technician as when you are replacing a condensing unit or air handler, you will have to get all of the non condensable gases out of the lines where the refrigant hangs out. Another good tool to have is called a gallo gun, it is another way to clean out condensate lines other than carrying a nitrogen tank around. They are not as effective as nitrogen tanks and the cartridges can be a bit pricey but they are both good for cleaning out condensate lines.
You will also need a good pair of torches, which can also be a bit pricey but they are a must as the copper piping that is in hvac systems is connected by means of soldering. A torch set will consist of an oxygen tank and a gas tank, along with hoses, gauges and regulators. To get a good hvac torch set you can expect to spend 300 dollars and up. Some of the things that I like to keep in my hvac torch set up are copper tube cutters, sandpaper, soldering sticks, inspection mirror, shraeder valve allen wrenches, and various copper fittings.
Some other tools would be a 5 in 1 screwdriver, a refrigerant leak detector (soapy water can be used for thsi also), fin straightener for the evaporator coils and condeser coils, and a spray bottle along with a type of coil cleaning solution. Thermometers are also essential when trouble shooting a heating or cooling system, they make ones that are specifically designed for HVAC systems. Last but not least you will need a wet dry vaccum, which can also be used to clean out condensate lines.
There are many other hvac tools not mentioned here that you will need sooner or later, but these are the tools that I am constantly using day in and out on the job. If you know of any other hvac tools that should be listed here please feel free to let me know. This concludes todays lesson in hvac training.