What’s In Your Tester Toolbox?

We live in a wondrous age where by using many of the tools and meters available to us we cannot only work smarter, but also faster, and that’s a good thing! These are some new items that we are having made and will hopefully help you solve a few problems. The motivation for most of these came from requests from tradesmen like yourself and a couple of them are from some of my previous articles. After searching for someone to make them to my specifications, we’re pleased to announce they are ready for sale.

The first is our No. 111 RIELLO Deviator Switch. The switch is based on a procedure I first learned in Italy. The procedure is a RIELLO pump priming technique that I’ve taught in our seminars since 1983 and shown in my books and when used correctly is fool-proof. The process only requires the No. 111 Deviator Switch and my clear instructions for use. There are a lot of really bad urban legends about the RIELLO pump out there, but when properly installed, and more importantly primed, they will do anything any other single-stage pump will do and that’s a fact! Read my article on priming again, it works with all brands of pumps.

The Deviator replaces a ‘switched cad-cell” and lets you quickly and easily prime the RIELLO pump under any condition.  I’ve shown thousands how to make this invaluable switch but now it’s available and ready-to-go with no soldering required. The No. 111 is for priming the RIELLO MECTRON, 40 and G51 pumps quickly and easily. It also acts as a basic control troubleshooting tool.

Used as a priming tool it can overcome problems with:

Overhead lines
Oil safety valves (OSVs)
Long horizontal lines and vertical lift conditions
Tigerloop and other oil deaerators

The No. 111 makes priming a RIELLO pump in any vacuum application easy and you can find more about its uses on our Web site and in my RIELLO Handbook. It’s a real time saver and is only $10, plus shipping.

The second tool is our No. 200 Low-water Cutoff Probe Evaluator. This device was first discussed in a magazine article back in 1999 that you can still read on this Web site. The article was titled ‘Checking Low-water Cutoffs.” Speaking of that article you can read a lot of my articles online and all you have to do is put ‘Lanthier” in the search box and read away.

In the article we discuss how to make this tester but so many wanted it ready-to-go that we did just that. The No. 200 easily tests low-water cutoff probes on hot water boilers without having to drain the boiler and system. The No. 200 also can be used to verify the correct operation of steam boiler probes after routine cleaning. The tester works with all major brands: Beckett, Hydrolevel, Honeywell, McDonnell & Miller and Taco. Many other uses for this tester are being evaluated now and you can read the instructions for use on our Web site. As we find new ways to use any of the products I develop, we update the info on the site. This product is exclusive to us and is just $18 plus shipping.

Third, is our No. 210 Cad-cell Stimulator. This is another of my designs that easily determines internal logic circuit integrity and troubleshoots virtually any U.S. cad-cell control ever made. The tester proves the ‘safe start circuitry” is functioning and easily checks the control ‘hold-in” and safety timing functions within 5 minutes. With an ohmmeter, and the Stimulator you will be able to find and correct many control and flame detection system problems. It works on virtually every oilburner primary control for burners firing less than 20 gallons an hour and includes controls from the 1960s through the latest designs from Beckett, Honeywell and ICM. The No. 210 will work with all of these brands: Beckett, Carlin, Honeywell, ICM, Robertshaw, Semicon, Wayne and White Rodgers. It will not work with RIELLO controls. This product is exclusive to us and is just $17 plus shipping. This makes a great companion to my book, WIRING & Fuel Burning Equipment – Volume 4 – Oilburner Primary Controls.

Another product we just had made is the L36 – Insulated Meter Lead Set. The L36 is a pair of CAT III meter test leads, for use with our HVAC package. They are heavy duty, 36″ in length and provide a male/male connection from almost any meter to a banana plug connection like that found on the Bosch/Buderus IR adapter for the G125BE burner. This also mates to an entire group of accessories we have for HVAC burner and control service extending the range and capability of your current meter. The L36 fits our Victor meters and most others including those labeled Carlin U, Craftsman, Eclipse, Extech, Fluke, Jewel, Mastech, Simpson, TPI, Triplett and UEI. We have a lot of other tools and accessories for oil and gas service so stop by my website and check this stuff out, you’ll be glad you did and so will I. Work smarter, work faster, make more money.

Many thanks and see ya.

*George Lanthier is the owner of Firedragon Enterprises. He can be reached at Firedragon Academy, 608 Moose Hill Road, Leicester, MA 01524. His phone is 508-421-3490, fax at 508-421-3477 and his e-mail is FiredragonEnt@charter.net