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There are smart thermostats, smart appliances, smart homes, and, of course, smartphones. Why not smart tools?

Well, those are available, too. Manufacturers who supply the HVAC industry with its tools have been adding and refining smart features, such as wireless communication and the ability to log pressure and temperature measurements and other information, in order to enhance their tool offerings using the latest smart technology.

Here’s a look at some of the latest smart tools available to HVAC professionals.

Milwaukee Press Tool

Press tools offer a quicker and safer alternative to brazing in the installation of refrigerant lines, securing joints without the need for solder or an open flame.

The M18 Force Logic Press Tool Kit, however, goes one better. The M18, from Milwaukee Tool, is a cordless press tool with remote tracking, management, and lockout capabilities that can also log and upload data from every use through Milwaukee’s One-Key, a tool-management app.

“This technology allows professionals to customize, track, and manage through One-Key, fundamentally changing the way professionals interact with their tools,” said Alec Dietzel, senior product manager at Milwaukee Tool. “The One-Key system delivers crucial asset tracking and management capabilities while also providing specific areas of connectivity for unique products, delivering ultimate control and performance to users.”

The M18 has an 18-volt battery and can deliver up to 7,200 pounds of pressure. Its in-line design and brushless motor enable more run time per battery charge and a cycle time of approximately four seconds, according to the company. The tool weighs just 5.6 pounds, and its design allows the user to operate it with one hand and fit it just about anywhere he or she can fit an arm, Dietzel said.

The M18 can be ordered with six press jaws, in sizes from ¼-inch to ?-inch, for use on Mueller Streamline ACR fittings. The tool can also press other materials (copper, PEX, black iron pipe, stainless steel) with diameters of between ½-inch and 4 inches, depending on the material, and is compatible with more than 20 fittings systems.

The M18, Dietzel added, “drives efficiency and ease of use in application for the professional technician,” and its trademarked electronics provide accuracy and reliability. The tool features an auto-cycle function that ensures a complete press with every use, and a battery-check function will stop the tool from starting a press that the battery doesn’t have the power to finish.

Fieldpiece Manifold

REMOTE ACCESS: The Fieldpiece SM480V digital manifold gives technicians the ability to view results from anywhere through the company’s Job Link System app. (Courtesy of Fieldpiece Instruments)

The Fieldpiece SM480V digital manifold is a wireless-enabled gauge that communicates with the Fieldpiece Job Link System app and gives technicians the ability to view results from anywhere, according to Bryan Schwartz, a training support manager at Fieldpiece Instruments.

Fieldpiece developed the SM480V using insights gained from a/c and refrigeration specialists, Schwartz said.

“The Fieldpiece SM480V digital manifold is at the heart of every job, helping HVACR pros diagnose and service refrigerant systems more accurately and faster so they spend less time on the job and reduce callbacks,” he said.

Through the Job Link System, diagnostic tips and parameter ranges are provided, based on inputs from the system being serviced, to help technicians troubleshoot, Schwartz said. There is also a real-time look-in feature that enables technicians to share data remotely with supervisors for help in diagnoses and other technical support.

The SM480V can also wirelessly receive measurements from other Fieldpiece Job Link-enabled tools, such as wireless pipe clamps, psychrometer probes, and refrigerant scales.

“Pros can view live air measurements and calculations while making adjustments and monitor and record live refrigerant usage for precise recovery, charging, and documentation,” Schwartz said.

The tool, Schwartz added, can also help technicians run a nitrogen pressure test to check for system leaks after installations or repairs. It can be used to set the test duration and view the pressure differential over time, and the manifold will compensate for changes in ambient temperatures for more accurate leak detection, he said. It can store up to nine different jobs and log 168 continuous hours of work, he said.

Schwartz said the SM480V is for residential and light commercial use. By downloading the latest firmware, he said, users can make the SM480V compatible with supported A2L refrigerants.

Navac Nexus

THIS YEAR’S MODEL: Navac’s Nexus NX1 smart manifold, which will be introduced next month, can be used on jobs of many sizes and is compatible with 72 different refrigerants, including the newer refrigerants R-32 and R-454B. (Courtesy of Navac Inc.)

Navac Inc. is introducing a new smart manifold, the NX1 Nexus digital manifold gauge, next month.

The NX1, through the MyNavac app, wirelessly integrates with Navac temperature probes and NAVAC’s micron gauge, enabling remote monitoring of system pressures, temperatures, and vacuum, according to Keith Keller, director of sales at Navac Inc.

“This flexibility provides technicians options to position the micron gauge and temperature probes accurately and optimally, irrespective of the Nexus’ location,” Keller said. “This wireless integration ensures the precise and reliable measurements are more efficiently delivered, improving technicians’ workflow.”

The NX1, Keller said, can gain system insights in four operating modes: manifold, leak test, evacuation, and decay test. Through MyNavac, technicians can export the collected data for later use or for sharing with colleagues, not at the job site, he said.

Keller said the smart manifold sets a new standard for the future of HVAC tools.

“Over the years, technology has advanced, but the tools and how they were used in the field have not,” he said. “The Nexus withstands field challenges for prolonged, resilient work experience, thus making it the technicians’ choice in the future of smart manifolds.”

The NX1, he added, also has a feature that prevents a vacuum from being pulled through the manifold. It can be used on jobs of many sizes and is compatible with 72 different refrigerants, including the newer refrigerants R-32 and R-454B. The gauge is equipped with quarter-turn ball-valve handles, Class 0.4 accuracy, and a clear digital display. It’s built with impact-resistant aluminum and covered in durable rubber.

JB Climate Class

SUITE OF TOOLS: The JB Climate Class Wireless Digital Tool Suite of smart tools for work on refrigerant systems debuted at the AHR Expo in January. (Courtesy of JB Industries)

JB Industries officially debuted a new family of smart refrigerant tools, the JB Climate Class Wireless Digital Tool Suite, at the AHR Expo in Chicago in January.

The A2L-compatible suite is made up of a wireless temperature clamp, a psychrometer, a pressure probe, a micron gauge, and a four-valve digital manifold that’s available in two models: the Zeppelin and the Revolver.

The tools work with the popular measureQuick HVAC app and JB’s own app, the JB GO V2, according to Dave Madden, senior director of engineering at JB Industries.

“Its flexibility is what makes Climate Class so smart,” Madden said. “Designed with built-in screens, each tool can be used independently to get immediate readings, or technicians can pair the tools with the measureQuick app for more sophisticated system measurements.” The suite’s tools also communicate with the digital manifolds, Madden said.

The Zeppelin manifold is a piston-style model of heavy-duty forged aluminum, while the Revolver is made of forged brass and has ball valves. Both have laser-welded stainless steel transducers, are compatible with more than 60 refrigerants, and can be updated through the JB Go app, according to information from the company.

“Climate Class digital tools offer technicians a higher level of accuracy than analog manifolds can,” said Madden, “Further, the wireless capability means that technicians don’t have to be tied down to one location, and have more flexibility for tool placement. They can monitor readings and measurements from any job location with their smart devices and the measureQuick app. Ultimately, Climate Class tools provide technicians with more efficiencies without losing the ability to add or take out refrigerant.”

Madden said the Climate Class smart tools can be used on systems of almost any size.