This website requires certain cookies to work and uses other cookies to help you have the best 

experience. By visiting this website, certain cookies have already been set, which you may delete and

block. By closing this message or continuing to use our site, you agree to the use of cookies. Visit our

updated privacy and cookie policy to learn more.

Refrigerant Overcharge Can Result in Serious

Problems
Inexperienced techs often add refrigerant before verifying the problem with
a system

MORE PROBLEMS: Inexperienced service technicians have a tendency to add refrigerant to troubled systems in
order to solve a problem, but this can lead to even more problems down the road. (Staff photo)

Privacidad - Condiciones
December 26, 2021 Inexperienced service technicians have a tendency to add refrigerant

John Tomczyk
to a troubled system in order to remedy a problem. Because of this,
many systems are operating with an overcharge of refrigerant. These
overcharged systems run very inefficiently and often end up with more serious overheating
problems in the near future.

Below are the symptoms for an overcharged refrigeration system that incorporates a refrigerant
receiver after the condenser and a TXV for the metering device. These symptoms are divided into
low- and high-side symptoms for ease of analysis and can be applied to any refrigerant:

High-side symptoms:

High discharge temperature;

High condenser subcooling;
High condensing pressures; and
Higher condenser splits

Low-side symptoms:

Normal-to high-evaporator pressures; and

Normal superheats

The following checklist shows a refrigeration system with an overcharge of refrigerant. The system
is a medium-temperature TXV/receiver system with R-134a as the refrigerant:

Measured values:
Compressor discharge temperature 240°F
Condenser outlet temperature 90°F
Evaporator outlet temperature 30°F
Compressor inlet temperature 40°F
Ambient temperature 70°F
Box temperature 35°F
Low-side (evaporator) pressure 8.8 psig (20°F)
High-side (condensing) pressure 172 psig (120°F)

Calculated values:
Condenser split 50°F
Condenser subcooling 30°F
Privacidad - Condiciones
 Evaporator superheat 10°F
Compressor superheat 20°F

System Analysis
With an overcharged system, the high compressor discharge temperature of 240°F is caused by the
high compression ratio. A discharge temperature of 225°F to 250°F is considered the maximum
discharge temperature in order to prevent system breakdown from excessive heat.

Higher-than-normal head pressures are caused by liquid backed up in the condenser from the
overcharge of refrigerant, which will flood some of the condenser’s internal volume at its bottom.
All of the heat being absorbed in the evaporator and the suction line, along with the compressor
motor heat and high heat of compression from the high compression ratio, has to be rejected into a
smaller condenser’s internal volume because of the excessive backed-up liquid refrigerant in the
condenser.

Because of the excess amount of refrigerant in the system, the condenser will have too much liquid
backed up at its bottom, causing high condenser subcooling. Remember, any liquid in the
condenser that is lower than the condensing temperature is considered subcooling. This can be
measured at the condenser outlet with a thermometer or thermocouple. Simply subtract the
condensing outlet temperature from the condensing temperature to get the amount of liquid
subcooling in the condenser.

A forced air condenser used in refrigeration should have at least 6°F to 8 °F of liquid subcooling in
the condenser. However, subcooling amounts depend on system piping configurations and liquid
line static and friction pressure drops. Condenser subcooling is an excellent indicator of the
system's refrigerant charge: The lower the refrigerant charge, the lower the subcooling, and the
higher the refrigerant charge, the higher the subcooling.

As mentioned earlier, subcooled liquid backed up in the condenser will cause a reduced condenser
internal volume and raise condensing pressures. Once the condensing pressures are raised, there is
more of a temperature difference between the surrounding ambient and the condensing
temperature, causing greater heat flow. This compensates for the reduced condenser’s internal
volume. The system will still reject heat, but at a higher condensing pressure and temperature.

Because of the higher condensing pressures and thus higher condensing temperatures, there will
be a greater temperature difference (split) between the ambient and condensing temperature. A
dirty condenser will also give a system high condenser splits, but the condenser subcooling will not
be as high as with an overcharged system. Remember, the condenser split is the difference between
the condensing temperature and the ambient temperature.
Privacidad - Condiciones
The condenser flooded with liquid during the overcharge will run high condensing pressures. This
causes high compression ratios and low volumetric efficiencies, resulting in low refrigerant flow
rates.

Since this system has a TXV metering device, the TXV will still try to maintain its evaporator
superheat, and the evaporator pressure will be normal to slightly high depending on the amount of
overcharge. If the overcharge is excessive, the evaporator's higher pressure would be caused by the
decreased mass flow rate through the compressor from high compression ratios, causing low
volumetric efficiencies. The evaporator would have a harder time keeping up with the higher heat
loads from the warmer entering-air temperature. The TXV will also have a tendency to overfeed
refrigerant to the evaporator on its opening stroke due to the high head pressures.

The TXV will try to maintain superheat even at an excessive overcharge; however, once the
pressure ranges of the TXV valve have been exceeded, it may overfeed during its opening strokes
and could do damage to the compressor. Again, it all depends on the severity of the overcharge of
refrigerant and the corresponding elevated head pressures.

If the system has a capillary tube metering device, the same symptoms occur with exception of the
evaporator superheat. Remember, capillary tube systems are critically charged to prevent liquid
floodback of refrigerant to the compressor during low evaporator loadings. The higher head
pressures of an overcharged system with a capillary tube will have a tendency to overfeed the
evaporator, thus decreasing the superheat. If the capillary tube system is severely overcharged,
liquid can enter the suction line and get to the suction valves or crankcase. This will cause
compressor damage and eventually failure.

Remember, it is the detailed system check that will tell the service technician whether or not a
system is overcharged. Service technicians must always install pressure gauges and thermistors or
some other sort of temperature sensing devices in order to correctly and systematically
troubleshoot a refrigeration system.

Recent Articles By John Tomczyk

How to Measure Net Oil Pressure

How to Diagnose Partially Restricted Filter Driers

Making Sense of Compressor Frost Patterns

Prevent Premature Compressor Wear Due to

John Tomczyk is HVACR professor emeritus, Ferris State
Internal Overheating
University, Big Rapids, Michigan, and coauthor of
Refrigeration & Air Conditioning Technology, published by
Cengage Learning. Contact him at tomczykjohn@gmail.com.

Privacidad - Condiciones
You are invited to join the
ACHR NEWS Network
JOIN THE NEWS NETWORK!

Copyright ©2021. All Rights Reserved BNP Media.

Design, CMS, Hosting & Web Development :: ePublishing

Privacidad - Condiciones