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Physical Address
304 North Cardinal St.
Dorchester Center, MA 02124
How do you know if a line is suction or discharge? The suction line connects the evaporator to the compressor, the discharge line connects the compressor to the condenser, and the liquid line connects the condenser to the expansion device. The expansion device is typically located at the end of the liquid line, at the inlet to the evaporator.
The discharge pipe may be larger than the suction pipe. The purpose of the lines is to keep the losses to a minimum. This is done to make sure there is enough Net Positive Suction Head available to meet the requirements of the pump.
The High Side AC hose carries the highly pressurized liquid refrigerant on the discharge side of the compressor to the expansion valve, which is the entry point of the low-pressure side. If the high side AC hose is damaged, it could result in the loss of refrigerant.
How can you tell the difference between a suction line and a discharge line? The discharge pipe may be larger than the suction pipe. The purpose of the lines is to keep the losses to a minimum. This is done to make sure there is enough Net Positive Suction Head available to meet the requirements of the pump.
How do you identify a suction line? The High Side AC hose carries the highly pressurized liquid refrigerant on the discharge side of the compressor to the expansion valve, which is the entry point of the low-pressure side. If the high side AC hose is damaged, it could result in the loss of refrigerant.
Which line is bigger suction or discharge? The valve between the condenser and the compressor is the outgoing valve. Once you know which valve is the outgoing valve, locate the other valve on the compressor. This is the suction valve, which should be attached to the evaporator.
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When the system is operating, the large insulated suction line should be cold to the touch and sweating at any point where there is no insulation. The smaller uninsulated liquid line should be warm to the touch after the system has been operating for 10 or 15 minutes.
A discharge line is a section of piping where the pressure is higher than atmospheric pressure (e. g. Pump system).
The high side, or discharge line, will be the line connected to the compressor from the bottom or lower position. It will not be wrapped in insulation and will be warm to the touch. This is where freon exits the compressor as a liquid.
The suction line is to return gas to the compressor. It is between the evaporator and compressor on a standard cooling system and between the reversing valve and the compressor on a heat pump.
The discharge diameter is kept to comply with the plant’s throughput and flow velocity needed downstream, WHILE, the suction is kept deliberately more than required in order to cope up with the cavitation. Originally Answered: Why is the diameter of a suction pipe of a centrifugal pump kept larger than discharge pipe?
The differential head is Discharge head – suction head. So the discharge pressure has to be greater than the suction. Suction pressure diameter is usually 1 size higher than discharge, because we need minimum resistance in the suction side to reduce the losses and increase the NPSHa.
He said his rule of thumb was to size the discharge pipe to that of the pump’s discharge flange. For example, if the pump’s discharge nozzle was 150mm, he would use a 150mm nominal size pipe for his discharge header.
If you have an air conditioner, you have a suction line–that’s the “cold” copper line that runs between the compressor and the evaporator, and it carries the cool refrigerant back to the compressor to be turned back into liquid. When your HVAC system is new, this line is insulated air-tight with 3/4″ insulation.
LOW SIDE – That portion of system from orifice in expansion valve through evaporator line or lines through compressor service valve to compressor reed valve. Also called suction side. MODULATOR VALVE – Device which limits and maintains minimum pressure in the evaporator. liquid, increases the liquid’s boiling point.
When installing refrigeration lines, make sure you have the correct size line based on the length of run. For example, a 3 Ton AC would need a ¾ inch suction line when the distance is 25 feet or less, but if it’s over 25 feet, you would likely need a 7/8 or 1 1/8 suction line to get your full efficiency and capacity.
Why Frost or Ice May Appear on an Air Conditioning Refrigerant Suction Line. Refrigerant charge level: Improper refrigerant charge (too low a charge of refrigerant in the A/C system can, for a while, lead to too-low temperatures in the coil which will then cause frost or ice build-up on the suction line.
Discharge gas lines (often referred to as hot gas lines) allow refrigerant to flow from the discharge of the compressor to the inlet of the condenser. Over sizing discharge lines increases the initial cost of the project and may result in insufficient refrigerant gas velocity to carry oil back to the compressor.
Connect the refrigeration hose to the service port of the compressor. Open up the service port and read the refrigerant pressure directly on the module. You can read one pressure at a time using a single pressure vacuum module. You will need to record the suction or discharge pressure one at a time.
As refrigerant pressure begins to drop, the system doesn’t have enough capacity to handle the heat in the house. This will cause the line to be warmish As it drops further, the temp of the refrigerant gets colder still, and can begin freezing the humidity resulting in ice.
The external suction line running hot means it’s running on heat mode. The real suction line is inside the unit and runs between the reversing valve and compressor, that part shouldn’t be hot at any time.
Refrigerant Lines
The larger line typically carries a cool gas and is insulated. This is commonly referred to as the suction line, but it is also called the return line or vapor line. The smaller uninsulated line typically carries a warm liquid. It is most often called the liquid line.
Trace the line as far as it goes and you will see it eventually go through an outside wall. Make a mental note of where you are seeing this in the basement or crawlspace. Then go to that spot on the outside of the home and locate the same pipe coming through the wall. Trace it from there to the end.
The Copper Pipe (Suction Line) should be sweating and cold to the touch during a hot day. If it is not cold, your compressor could be off (bad capacitor/ hard start kit) or low on Refrigerant. Be Careful because this usually indicates a problem with the compressor or wiring.
The coil that serves the inside of the house is called the indoor coil. The unit outside the house is called the outdoor unit and contains the outdoor coil. The reason is that the indoor coil is a condenser in the heating mode and an evaporator in the cooling mode.
Suction pressure is always measured by the amount of pressure below atmospheric pressure e.g. a suction pressure of 100 mbar means 100 mbar below the atmospheric air pressire. Vacuum pressure is similar but should be referred to perfect vacuum e.g. a vacuum of 100 mbar means 100 mbar above a perfect vacuum.
If suction pressure changes, the discharge pressure will also change. Thus, if the suction vessel or tank level is high, the discharge pressure will be higher than if the vessel or tank is nearly empty.