Klein Tools ET160 Refrigerant Gas Leak Detector

The ET160 detects CFCs, HFCs, HCFCs and blends, over a range of 100 ppm to 3000 ppm. Sensitivity settings are calibrated against R-134A: high setting covers 100 to 1000 ppm, low setting 200 to 3000 ppm. So it is a general-purpose refrigerant sniffer rather than a single-gas instrument, which is what an HVAC tech wants when a building has mixed-vintage equipment.

The gooseneck probe is 18 inches (45.7 cm) and flexible, so it bends around and behind equipment while you keep the meter body in your hand. The meter itself is 8.11 inches long, 2.72 inches wide and 1.75 inches tall, so it is a one-hand tool on a ladder or in a crawlspace.

No manual calibration step. The detector runs an automatic zero-point calibration every time you power it up. That is why the instructions say to switch it on in air you know is clean, away from the suspected leak, so it zeroes against a good baseline. Power it up next to a leaking joint and it will treat that background as zero.

No. The ET160 is not insulated. Klein's own warning is to avoid contact with energized conductive elements and to shut off power to the area before taking measurements. It is also not personal protective equipment, so do not rely on it to tell you an occupied space is safe to breathe, it is a leak-finding tool only.

Yes. The ET160 conforms to EN14624-2020 testing, the European standard covering the performance of portable refrigerant leak detectors. That is the spec line to quote if a facility or contract requires a tested instrument rather than a generic sniffer.

Both the audible tone and the LED visual alarm step up as refrigerant concentration rises, so you sweep the probe and follow the escalation to the source rather than reading a number. There is also a hold function to freeze a reading and a mute for working in a noisy mechanical room.

Batteries are included, 4 x AAA, along with a storage pouch and the instruction sheet. Nothing else is required to start using it. Worth stocking spare AAAs on the truck for a service fleet, since the sensor and LEDs run off them.

It is rated for 6.6-foot (2 m) drop protection, with a polycarbonate housing. At 15 oz (425 g) it is light enough to work overhead one-handed. Auto-power off after 10 minutes of inactivity keeps it from draining the batteries if it gets left switched on in the bag.

Use high sensitivity (100 to 1000 ppm) to find small leaks and to pinpoint a location. Switch to low (200 to 3000 ppm) when the area already has enough refrigerant in the air that the high setting alarms everywhere, which happens in a closed mechanical room or after a large release. Both ranges are referenced to R-134A.

Klein Tools ET160 is the manufacturer part number, sold as a single model with no finish or range options to specify. One ordering code covers the meter, gooseneck, batteries and pouch.