The best combustion analyzer is a powerful tool that helps HVAC technicians ensure fuel-fired heating appliances are working safely and efficiently. Long gone are the days when checking a furnace’s efficiency was simply an eye test of a flame color and shape. Today, it requires a far more precise tool capable of measuring a variety of readings like flue gas CO and draft.
What are the parameters of a combustion analyzer?
When selecting the Best combustion analyzer for your needs, there are a few things to keep in mind. First, pay attention to the analyzer’s documented measurement accuracy and precision across its range. Generally, you want the highest possible accuracy and precision in the measurement ranges you use the most — especially for the combustion gas CO measurements that determine an appliance’s safety limits.
Look for an analyzer with easy-to-use controls and display screens that present all the measurement options you need in one place. Some techs prefer a simple backlit LCD screen and buttons below it to navigate the different analyzer modes and measurement features; others may want a larger, full-color touchscreen that presents all the readings in one view for quick selection and navigation.
UEi’s C85, for example, offers an easy-to-read backlit LCD that displays all the measurement functions at once along with quick buttons for the most commonly used settings. Its optical CO2 sensor is also a big plus — unlike electro-chemical sensors found in most competing analyzers, ours is not exposed to the air and therefore doesn’t degrade over time. This eliminates the need for yearly sensor replacement and reduces overall cost of ownership.