HVAC school welcomes back Eric Mele. He goes through his tool bag and shows the tools he uses to work on small refrigeration units in the field. Hosted by Bryan Orr.
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This is gon na, be showing some of the tools that I use to get apart. Stuff that's hard to get apart like little reach-in cases. I hate to be brand specific, but cobalt which doesn't sponsor us unfortunately, but they can they can if they want to now, is the only one I know of that makes this. This is a ratcheting magnetic wrench.

I don't have a drill bit laying around right now, but you can actually put in like driver bits that are really small and get into really tight spaces. It's quarter inch drive, quarter, inch, drive on this side, five sixteenths on this, so if you're just taking out those fasteners, it's nice because you won't lose them, but you can put like a Phillips tip in there or whatever else you may need to get into a Really tight spot the little propeller fans on reaching condensers are always a pain to get off of the unit. Also little wrenches like this to get in tight spaces, obviously it's much smaller than and then any adjustable wrench you're going to try to use. I like using these double open-ended ones, because you usually can't get the Box end on anyway, so I have these in various sizes.

I keep the common ones in my bag. I got a whole set of these actually up to inch and 5/8 and all the metric ones too. Let's see what other gadgets we have here always good to keep magnetic parts tray, so you don't lose all those stupid little screws and then, of course, some drivers for the drill, this right angle attachment so that that comes in handy a lot. The only problem is: is it kind of free spins in the drill? So if you're not on anything that might be, it can free spin the whole attachment, if you're not holding it? I haven't really ever gotten into flexi bits, because I mean usually you need, like a complete 90 degree if it's like at an angle, I'll, usually just use like a really long extension.

Like I got this extension, I got this extension. I've had to put extensions together and something too, if you're, trying to clean something in a tight space. This is another thing I got at Lowe's Home Depot carries a different style, but this is the quick-connect style, so you can put it in here or you can put this in an extension, preferably a locking extension, which I have a longer locking extension. Just not with me right today, that's a pretty stiff brush.

So what would you clean without copper, usually you're gon na clean, copper to braze, but it might be really in between some stuff and I've honestly not used sand cloth. In years you can clean like pipe threads with it too. That's pretty much it. I keep little deep sockets for fan motors.

I see people use their adjustable wrench at an angle all the time you know I'd like to make my life easy and just do it with a drill. So I have the adapter to put these in the drill for when you're doing motors, do you um? It seems like you, keep just pretty much just the stuff that you'll use you don't have. I have the big sets. If I really, if I really need the other stuff, but once I you know, found myself using the same one over and over again, I just bought extra of that specific one or just took a couple out of the kit and keep it in the tool bag.
If I need the rest of the kid or something else from the kit, I'll bring the rest of the kit, but you know just look at the video bag, but that's that's pretty much the extent of it. You know this is kind of cool. I just got this: it's the multi, so it works. Good is like a backup.

We have all the different sizes on there. Actually, it goes up to like 9/16. It's come in handy a few times, especially on like blower motor belly bands. You can get this on.

There and it'll stay on other than like you know, trying to do it with two wrenches. You can put this on one side, sock it on the other and just pull it right off. They see eight and one yeah. I love this thing.

I mean, of course you got your a quarter and then five sixteenths, which is both magnetic this is 3/8, and then you have core remover or some locking caps, thermostat sized and then of course, just a Philips flathead. Is that what it's? What is that the name of they call it the HVAC Aden, one yeah? I probably can't read it. I really like these pliers too, because they have a crimper and they have the wire strippers and they're needlenose, so it takes up less space in the bag. I'm not a big fan of carrying more stuff.

If I can get a bunch of stuff done with one tool, why would I want to carry three separate ones in the bag? I mean. Sometimes it is annoying to use these and I have regular wire strippers. Occasionally they come in handy, but most of the time I can just get it done with. So you have we're saying that that you put your testo probes that hold on out I'll grab them just keep them.

In the case, with a 9/16 I got charging t. I got just a 90 degree on this because it fits pretty much every condenser. That way I got another charging T. If I need to remove a little bit of charge and then I just got a 5/16 elbow adapter because usually the elbow is the one I need yeah, I can either clip it on here.

Well, that's another reason I like to wear carpenter pants is because I can clip it on here, so I'm climbing a like a ladder to a roof and all I'm doing is you know, checking that or I can clip my meter on or both yeah it is It does kind of rattle a little bit, but it's better than dragging this whole thing to a roof when you, when you know that you don't need to do major surgery to a unit, but that's pretty much it I mean everything else in there is pretty basic. Just the wires they need oil, they had him a Johnstone one day when I lost my channel lock brain of the same size. I do like these better there's a lot finer adjustments. I thought of when I bought him.

They were like 30 or 40 bucks. Little on the high side, but they do make nice tools.

19 thoughts on “Refrigeration tools for tight spots w/ eric mele”
  1. Avataaar/Circle Created with python_avatars Darrell Caldwell says:

    Klien tools makes a little wrench like that.

  2. Avataaar/Circle Created with python_avatars CritterGitter23 says:

    Eric’s the man!! He’s helped me when I had an issue with a WSHP that I’ve never seen before. I see him driving in the Kalos kuv from time to time in Jupiter or West Palm. Smart dude!

  3. Avataaar/Circle Created with python_avatars Raheel Manzoor says:

    Hi.
    Nice complete tool kit.
    How much this bag with complete tools.?
    Can I buy this comlete tool bag and where from?

  4. Avataaar/Circle Created with python_avatars Mitchell Armyguy says:

    Klein makes a slightly better version of that hand ratchet that holds bits. They added the finger swivel to one end so it's easier to hold on to in tight spots. Even comes with a 1/4" socket adapter.

  5. Avataaar/Circle Created with python_avatars Maurice Kendall II says:

    What kind of truck is that? Service area Ottawa??

  6. Avataaar/Circle Created with python_avatars Arkamas Ross says:

    This is good stuff. Not just another tool loadout but some explanation behind uses and your own hows and why’s

  7. Avataaar/Circle Created with python_avatars Jaime Verling says:

    Kobalt cordless power tools are good, but most of their hand tools have broken on my first use-and I'm not THAT hard on my tools. I'll never buy Kobalt again.

  8. Avataaar/Circle Created with python_avatars Tony McKay says:

    Legit looking vehicle. Looking to get the veto at some point as well. I love clamping my testos to my belt loop there 👍 beats regular gauges around the shoulder

  9. Avataaar/Circle Created with python_avatars HVACR Survival says:

    Great video! pretty much all the same tools I use. That little ratchet wrench is also made by gearwrench and another company. Service area Orleans??

  10. Avataaar/Circle Created with python_avatars Juan Todolí says:

    You'll like the 13 88 8 of Knipex.

  11. Avataaar/Circle Created with python_avatars Gary O’Connor dba Air Repair says:

    I purchased an 11 to 1 from RSD.

  12. Avataaar/Circle Created with python_avatars Gary O’Connor dba Air Repair says:

    I used tubing wrenches for hard to get nuts and bolts. Are you in Kanata ?

  13. Avataaar/Circle Created with python_avatars Oscarbm1234 says:

    Holy shit…… perfect combo…….this dude is legit…..

  14. Avataaar/Circle Created with python_avatars Hozer HVAC says:

    Did you hire him at Kalos?

  15. Avataaar/Circle Created with python_avatars K Ranch17 says:

    Dewalt makes a flexable 90 fitting, with a small handle. Should check it out. Well worth the money

  16. Avataaar/Circle Created with python_avatars Joe Shearer says:

    Shave your face

  17. Avataaar/Circle Created with python_avatars Redheaded Rambler says:

    I've only ever seen them at Harbor Freight, but a set of ratcheting stubby wrenches is invaluable !

  18. Avataaar/Circle Created with python_avatars CeeCee The Cat says:

    Love that Kobalt little wrench😸👌

  19. Avataaar/Circle Created with python_avatars Ryan Baik says:

    Are you guys working together? Wow

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