REFRIGERATION SERVICE ENGINEERS SOCIETY Lesson 21 Refrigerant-Side Troubleshooting (Cooling Air-to-Air) Part 2 UE % TTa is After completing this Lesson, you will be able to: = Compare the operating functions of various metering devices used in heat pump applications. = Explain the steps involved in comparing a systam’s actual operating characteristics to those of a properly operating cooling system. * Describe typical refrigerant-metering problems and the heat measurements that indicate their causes. "Discuss the methods used to provide the metering and check functions required for reverse-cycle refrigeration. = Describe common problems that can occur with TEV sensing bulbs. Explain the effect of an excessive suction-line pressure drop on the refrigeration cycle and on system performance. Describe typical causes of excessive suction-line pressure drops. "Discuss the issues involved when using R-410A and POE oils in modern heat pump systems. = Explain why heat pump sections must be installed with matched ‘components only. * Describe the operating effects on a heat pump system that has been installed with indoor and outdoor sections that are not factory-approved matches. Discuss the safety issues associated with brazing refrigerant tubing and ‘components. ‘© copyign 2008 bythe Retigeration Sonica Engrs SocietyLesson 21 Refrigerant-Side Troubleshooting (Cooling Air-to-Air) Part 2 JROUBLESHOOTING THE REFRIGERANT SIDE OF A HEAT PUMP SYSTEM 1S, | difficult for many technicians. It is unlike troubleshooting electrical problems. Most electrical problems can be uncovered by using voltage, current, or resistance readings. These readings are compared to published values for the unit and determined to be acceptable or not. Refrigerant-side problems cannot be found simply by taking readings. The service readings that you take are used to estimate the heat transfer performance, of the system, and this requires you to convert measurements into values not read directly by the test instrument. To determine superheat, for example, you need to convert the operating pressure into a saturation temperature and compare that value to the measured temperature of the tubing. The superheat value then is compared to published values for the equipment type and determined to be acceptable or not. Further complicating the procedure is the fact that no single heat measurement can be used to judge the performance of a refrigeration system. Unlike voltage, which you can determine to be high or low by using a voltmeter reading directly, the refrigeration cycle is evaluated by considering several heat measurements. ‘These are compared to specifications for DX cooling systems to judge if the system is performing well. You need a good grasp of the thermodynamics of the refrigeration cycle to excel at this job. root