Car Air Conditioning System’s Orifice Tube
An orifice tube is an important component of vehicle AC that helps control refrigerant flow into the evaporator, much like an expansion valve. An evaporator is the major cooling component of the AC system. An expansion valve control refrigerant flows directly through a modulating rod. Opening and closing of this depend on the cooling demand.
If your orifice tube might be broken and you need Phoenix car AC repair, call us now for your free check-up!
The orifice tube contains a bulb that detects evaporator’s temperature. It does not contain moving parts but has a permanent restriction within the AC system Orifice tube controls the flow of the refrigerant by using a regulating valve, cycling the compressor and other means.
When more cooling is required the orifice tube allows high refrigerant flow and less flow when there is little demand for cooling. This balance is essential for the AC to function effectively.
If there is too much flow of refrigerant in the evaporator moisture freezes on coils of evaporator. This freezing causes airflow restriction in the coils. Eventually, your AC system will be unable to cool the car. While the refrigerant and evaporator should be cold to run properly, they should not be frozen. Freezing is an indication that there could be a problem with your orifice tube.
Detecting Faulty Orifice Tube
Faulty orifice tubes could also lead to little flow of refrigerant in the evaporator. This means that the flow will not be enough to absorb heat from the condenser effectively. As a result, the AC system will be unable to cool the system. Another sign of a faulty orifice tube is hot evaporator or refrigerant coming from the evaporator.
If your cars air conditioning turns cool when turned on but gets warm quickly, your orifice may be faulty. Similarly, low-pressure reading blows the expected and high-pressure reading above manufacturer’s specification is a sign of faulty orifice tube. .the small diameters of orifice tube make them prone to clogging from debris. However, clogging from debris signals a larger problem with the AC system.
The passage of orifice tubes is smaller compared to a diameter of evaporator diameter. Therefore the refrigerant expands when it passé from orifice tube to the evaporator. The conversion from high pressure to low pressure generates cold. Both the orifice tube expansion act dividing point of low pressure and high-pressure refrigerant in the AC system. The low-pressure refrigerant flows into the evaporator.
Not all cars have an orifice tube. Some manufacturers prefer using an expansion valve as the metering device. Newer automobiles models are more likely to have an orifice tube. You can either have an orifice tube or expansion valve, not both. Expansion valve can be more troublesome than the orifice tube. You see while an orifice tube is made of a simple copper tube with two screens, expansion valve has moving parts and temperature sensing device.
If you experience any of the scenarios above your car’s orifice tube might actually have to be removed. It is prudent to have your orifice tube inspected by a qualified mechanic.
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