so im acquiring more rental properties and i am going to start DIY the yearly HVAC tune ups
I am certified to handle and recover refrigerants. i have the tools/reclaim setup.
i have not dabbled on the heat side, just the AC side

what tools/gear should i pick up?
from what i can gather, a furnace tune up is making sure the burners are not clogged, clean off any wax.carbon buildup, check igniters for wear, replace if they look tired or if they are X# years old. clean the plenum chamber and fan of dust and dirt.  check PSI of the gas line.

i cant see paying 400-500$ 2X a year per building to check 4 furnaces, when i could just as easily do it.
am i missing anything?
thanks


edit: so far i have 1 rental, a 4 family.
i will be picking up 2-3 more in the next 15 months or so. probably 4-8 unit buildings with forced air furnaces.

Fieldpiece makes a very friendly HVAC meter and accessories to go along with it. I am in the HVAC trade and that is my everyday meter. They also have a great repair/replace program. If it is out of warranty it is $50 to repair or replace a meter and $40 to repair or replace an accessory  

look here

il call my local distributor in the am
thanks

after talking with my local distributor there are a lot of different grades of fieldpiece.
any particular units your recommend?

im not opposed to spending money on a quality unit that will last me decades.

I have used the LT17A  for the last 15 years. They cost around $125 new. Then use the accessory heads

If you look on Ebay you can find like new used ones for less the accessories too. I just picked an accessory head and a stand alone reader for $40.  Just remember even if the accessories dont work Fieldpiece will repair or replace for $40 so even if you buy a broke one for $10 another $40 and you will have a new one

I personally love just having a good set of hand tools.

I find that I can do a lot with a 1/4" and 5/16" nut driver, wire strippers, flat and Phillips, and a good light. I think a high voltage detector is a great tool. I also carry 2 sets of channelocks for gas wrenches.'

I can do quite a lot with those, and of course the standard volt meter.

-dero1548

A clamp on ammeter is worth having.

Most have a volt meter built in also.

the meter I listed and linked to comes with an amp clamp

just ordered


LT17A, Classic Style Digital Multimeter w/ Temperature
LT17A, Classic Style Digital Multimeter
w/ Temperature
SKU: LT17A
Brand: Fieldpiece
In Stock! Ships in 24-48 Hours
$119.20

1
Remove
$119.20
SDMN5, Dual-Port Manometer
SDMN5, Dual-Port Manometer
SKU: SDMN5
Brand: Fieldpiece
In Stock! Ships in 24-48 Hours
$119.20

1
Remove
$119.20
SOX3, Combustion Check Meter
SOX3, Combustion Check
Meter
SKU: SOX3
Brand: Fieldpiece
In Stock! Ships in 24-48 Hours
$328.00

I've got several instruments made by Fieldpiece, and they're really nice.  I also really like my Fluke meters.  But unless you're going to be using them every day for your livelyhood, I really can't see spending several hundred dollars on a meter you're going to be dragging out a few times a year just to check on things.  Just like a $700 JB Platinum vacuum pump is really nice, but if you're just going to be working on a few cars A/C then you're probably better off getting a sub-$100 pump at Harbor Freight.

When it comes to well performing budget meters, I've been having really good luck with Mastech.  One of my favorites is the MS8229 "5in1" - also available from Harbor Freight.  Besides all the usual settings, it also measures caps up to 100mf (something my beloved Fluke 87 won't do), reads ambient temperature and humidity, and has a thermocouple that you can wrap on a lineset to measure subcooling and superheat.  Another nice feature is the frequency and %duty cycle readings in case you're trouble shooting one of the new variable frequency drive (VFD) systems.

I really like this meter, and find myself using it more and more as my front line DVM, leaving my more expensive Flukes and Fieldpieces in the truck.

For a clamp-on meter, I have a Mastech MS2115A.  It does AC and DC current clamp-on - steady and inrush - plus, like the 5in1 also does capacitors, Hz, %, and has a non-contact voltage sensor so you can make sure the power is off before you start sticking your fingers in there.

You can actually get both of these meters cheaper that any one Fieldpiece or Fluke.

And if you're really concerned with temperature and humidity (like calculating the correct superheat on a non-TXV A/C system), check out this by OriGlam.  Besides temperature (dry bulb) and %humidity, it also reads wet bulb temperature directly so you don't have to worry about conversion tables or sling psychrometers.  I have one and it works great.

A good carbon monoxide detector.  Fluke makes one; it isn't cheap.  I highly recommend not skimping on this tool.  All it takes is one leak undetected and a tenant doesn't wake up one day and your ass is in a serious bind.

For CO meter I would go with a Bacharach

this is where keeping up on replacing Carbon monoxide detectors comes in handy. im one of the odd land lords who actually does check his fire and CO detectors when im at the property.
my tenants hate it as it wakes them up or bothers them with the beeping from the test, but 1.) its the law 2.) it can save their life if the device is ever needed.
duly noted about the leak detector though.