Leak detector dye colors

[dherde]

Good Morning.
A crack developed in a weld point on my trucks' condenser unit. As a result, I have the yellow dye all over the engine compartment. I replaced the coil but there is still a leak in the system. (Yes it was there prior to the catastrophic failure.)
Are there other Leak detector colors available on the market and does anyone know a reputable brand and injection system?
TIA.
David

[JohnHere]

Most of what you'll find for MVAC systems is the greenish yellow or green fluorescent dye, and sometimes but rarely, fluorescent red. The much better option IMHO is a decent-quality "sniffer"--electronic leak detector--that can sense even minute refrigerant leaks that the dye won't show. Whether you want to invest in a sniffer depends on your budget and how often you'll use it. I suggest consulting Tim at ACKits.com, this Forum's sponsor, for the appropriate pro-quality tools and materials.

[Tim]

Santech products are a solid buy. CPS, Mastercool, and Robiair are also fine products.

43-MT1380

[dherde]

Looking at ACKits..
Here is a really out there question.
Will the R-134 and 1234yf detectors also sniff R-152a?
Not sure that I am going that route, but I am sure I don't want to be dumping more 134 into the atmosphere which may end up being the case if I fill this up and the leak is in the evaporator.
Would a partial charge be good enough for finding the leak?
Thoughts?
Thanks..

[Tim]

Refresh the link, I added another image. The general answer is yes.

[dherde]

OK..
Thanks $300 is out of budget at the moment. I'll check for red dye first.
Any idea where to find it?
Thanks bunches..
Best..
David

[JohnHere]

A red refrigerant dye (NOT with stop leak) that FJC describes as "visual" is available. It's not fluorescent, and it doesn't glow brightly like the greenish yellow dye does using a UV light and special eyeglasses in a darkened shop. It might be sufficient for your purposes, though.

[Cusser]

A crack developed in a weld point on my trucks' condenser unit.

David - just curious: is this a GM vehicle and the leak on the driver side of condenser?

[pete_89t2]

OK..
Thanks $300 is out of budget at the moment. I'll check for red dye first.
Any idea where to find it?
Thanks bunches..
Best..
David

I picked up a relatively inexpensive electronic leak detector at Harbor Freight a few years ago that worked well enough for me to hunt down a slow leak in an automotive AC system I was restoring. I can also confirm it works to detect R152a/"duster gas", as that's what I charged my system with just to find the pesky leak. Here's a link: (Link removed. Please see "Forum Rules.")

It's clearly NOT a professional grade tool, but for occasional DIY use it may be good enough to get the job done.

[Tim]

Here is my take on leak detectors. Is it worth it to trust a lower-grade tool with the cost of refrigerant, and labor to repeat repairs? False-reports, unless you have a reclaimer on hand, will cover the cost of a quality leak detector. How many refills will it take to find tough leaks? See it where customers claim it is a defective item, and want the supplier to resend products that are not defective.