FAQ – PadDIY Leak Tester

Table of Contents

General Information

About Leak Testing

What is a leak tester?

A leak tester is a measuring device that checks the airtightness of woodwind instruments. By creating a slight overpressure inside the instrument, it becomes visible whether air escapes through pads, joints, or keywork. An accurate leak test is essential for a well‑playing instrument.

Why is leak testing important for clarinet and flute?

Even a small leak can cause:

poor response
unstable tone
heavy blowing resistance
intonation issues
player fatigue

A leak test provides immediate insight into the condition of the instrument and prevents unnecessary searching for the cause of playing problems.

What does ‘airtightness percentage’ mean?

The PadDIY leak tester expresses measurement results as an airtightness percentage. This value indicates how much of the built‑up pressure inside the instrument is retained during the measurement.

100% airtightness means the instrument seals completely with no measurable leak.
Lower values (e.g., 85–95%) indicate a light to moderate leak.
Strong pressure loss (below ~80%) indicates a clear leak that affects playability.

The airtightness percentage allows you to:

compare measurements (e.g., before and after a repair)
detect small leaks that are difficult to find by hand
create objective reports for customers or students
benchmark instruments against each other

PadDIY Companion can display these percentages graphically, making trends and pressure behavior visible at a glance.

About the PadDIY Leak tester

Which instruments is the PadDIY leak tester suitable for?

The PadDIY leak tester is designed for:

clarinet
flute
oboe
other woodwind instruments where airtightness is important

Thanks to the universal adapter, the tester can be used on a wide range of instruments.

The leak tester isn’t ideal for saxophones—much like magnehelic‑style testers—because of the instrument’s conical bore. A saxophone uses a wide range of pad sizes, and that variation makes it difficult to obtain consistent, reliable measurements with this type of tester.

Is the leak tester safe for my instrument?

Yes. The tester uses a very low overpressure that is completely safe for all woodwind instruments. No aggressive airflow is used, and there is no risk of damaging pads or keywork.

How accurate is the PadDIY leak tester?

The digital sensor measures pressure differences with high precision. This makes even small leaks visible—leaks that often go unnoticed with analog meters. The readout is stable, reproducible, and not dependent on interpretation.

What is the difference between the PadDIY leak tester and a Magnehelic meter?

The PadDIY leak tester is digital, compact, and specifically designed for woodwind instruments.
Measures not just pressure difference, but actual airtightness. A Magnehelic gauge only displays a pressure differential in pascals; it provides no information about the leak‑tightness as a percentage.
Active leak detection with an adjustable threshold. The device emits an audible signal when the pressure exceeds a set threshold or fails to remain stable, allowing you to detect leaks without constantly watching the gauge.
A Magnehelic gauge is large, vulnerable, analog, and inconvenient to carry around.

Can I use the leak tester myself, or is it only for repair technicians?

The tester is suitable for:

professional repair technicians
teachers
advanced players
orchestras and ensembles

Anyone who wants to check whether an instrument leaks can use the tester.

Where can I find more information about the PadDIY Leak Tester?

Further details can be found in the user manual. If you need help, feel free to contact us through the contact page.

Where can I buy the PadDIY leak tester?

The leak tester is available at klarinetteur.nl. Orders can be placed directly through the webshop.

How do I order the PadDIY Leak Tester for international customers?

International orders are currently handled manually, as the webshop is only available in Dutch. The ordering process is simple:

Contact me with your interest and the billing details you would like on the invoice (name and billing address).
I will sent an invoice for the requested items.
- Shipping with track & trace from the Netherlands to your destination: €15
After payment by bank transfer, your order will be shipped.
Delivery within Europe typically takes about 1 week. You will receive the track‑and‑trace information as soon as the parcel is on its way.

Warranty and Support

What warranty does the PadDIY Leak Tester include?

The PadDIY Leak Tester comes with a 1‑year warranty covering manufacturing defects and hardware failures under normal use. If a problem occurs within this period, I will repair or replace the unit at no additional cost.

Please note:

The warranty does not cover damage caused by misuse, accidental drops, moisture, or unauthorized modifications.
If the unit needs to be returned for inspection or repair, shipping costs are the responsibility of the customer.
If a defect is confirmed and covered by warranty, the repaired or replacement unit will be shipped back to you at no charge.

If you experience any issues or are unsure whether something is covered, feel free to contact me — I’m always happy to help troubleshoot.

Using the Leak Tester

Operations and Measurements

How does the PadDIY leak tester work?

The tester creates a controlled overpressure inside the instrument. The digital sensor then measures how quickly the pressure drops.

Stable pressure: the instrument is airtight
Pressure drop: a leak is present

The digital readout makes the measurement reproducible and prevents interpretation errors common with analog meters.

What does the displayed flow in Pascal mean?

The PadDIY leak tester shows a flow value that represents the pressure difference across the pressure sensor. This is not a Pa/s value, but a momentary pressure measurement in Pascal (Pa). The pressure difference occurs because air tries to escape through a leak or opening. The greater the pressure difference, the higher the airflow speed—and therefore the larger the leak.

Low pressure difference (near 0 Pa): almost no airflow → instrument is nearly airtight
Moderate pressure difference: small airflow caused by a minor leak
High pressure difference: significant airflow → substantial leak

This value is useful because it:

shows how much air is escaping through a leak
helps locate leaks
indicates the severity of a leak
assists in fine‑tuning adjustments during repairs

Combined with the airtightness percentage:

the percentage shows how much pressure is retained,
the flow value shows how quickly air escapes.

PadDIY Companion can also display these pressure differences graphically, making subtle changes in airflow immediately visible.

Is it possible to test individual pads with the leak tester?

Yes — you can test individual pads using the PadDIY Leak Tester, as long as you seal all other tone holes first. The most reliable way to do this is by inserting soft silicone plugs into the surrounding tone holes so that only the pad you want to test remains open. This isolates the key and allows you to measure its seal independently from the rest of the instrument.

Practical use during repairs

Can I use the leak tester during repairs?

Yes. The tester is ideal for:

pad adjustment
keywork alignment
full overhauls
final inspection before delivery
quick diagnostics during lessons or rehearsals

The digital readout makes it easy to evaluate small improvements immediately.How do I adjust the audio threshold?

The audio threshold can be set as a percentage of the measured airtightness. When the instrument’s airtightness rises above the selected threshold, a beep will sound to indicate that the desired value has been reached.

The threshold can be adjusted from the main menu or directly during measurements by turning the control knob.

How do I adjust the audio threshold?

The threshold can be adjusted from the main menu or directly during measurements by turning the control knob.

Which accessories do I need?

The standard set includes:

the digital leak tester
air hose
universal adapter
USB power cable

Optional adapters are available for specific instruments or applications.

Maintenance and updates

How do I maintain the leak tester?

The tester requires very little maintenance. Recommended:

store it in a dry place
avoid extreme temperatures
occasionally check the hose and connections

There are no internal components that require maintenance.

How do I upgrade the firmware on my PadDIY Leak Tester?

Firmware updates keep your PadDIY Leak Tester up to date with the latest features, performance improvements, and bug fixes.

On your computer, open the firmware upgrade page using a supported browser (Chrome or Edge) and follow the steps shown there.

Once the upgrade is complete, the tester will restart automatically and is ready to use with the new firmware.

PadDIY Companion app

Overview

What is PadDIY Companion?

PadDIY Companion is an additional software tool developed specifically for users of the PadDIY leak tester. The Companion app provides extra features that improve accuracy, analysis, and workflow. For more information see PadDIY Companion.

What can PadDIY Companion do?

PadDIY Companion offers:

live measurement of pressure build‑up and pressure drop
storage of the highest measured value
assistance with calibration

My leak tester isn’t found or fails to connect

Ensure that bluetooth is enabled on the device. See menu Advanced… -> Bluetooth.

Requirements and availability

Do I need PadDIY Companion to use the leak tester?

No, the leak tester works completely on its own. Companion is an optional add‑on for users who want to:

gain deeper insight into measurements
document measurements
analyze and compare repairs
provide professional reports to customers

Which devices does PadDIY Companion support?

PadDIY Companion is is available for Android via the testing program in the Google Play Store.

The software communicates with the leak tester via Bluetooth.

How do I get the PadDIY Companion app

The PadDIY Companion app is currently in a testing phase on the Google Play Store. If you would like access, send me a message through the contact form requesting to join the test.
Please include the Google email address you use on your Android device, because I need it to grant you access to the app.

Is PadDIY Companion free?

Yes, PadDIY Companion is available free of charge.