While our customers are wholesalers, Packard knows that you, the contractor, have a choice. You are often presented with many buying options, and being well-informed about your purchase can help make your job easier and more successful. Our Tech Tips are also very helpful for our wholesalers as we present product information that can help as contractors have questions.
This is why we have dedicated a section of our site for contractors and wholesalers. In this section, you will find helpful product tips, tools and some clips from our training classes. We’ve also provided a distributor locator so you can find the nearest wholesaler who can give you access to Packard products.
August Tech Tip
The temperature in the attic is over 100 degrees, but ice has formed on the evaporator coil. How does that happen?
The air conditioning system is designed to transfer heat from an area where it is undesirable and move it to an area where it is not objectionable. It does this by using a chemical, the refrigerant, which is very good at absorbing and releasing heat. This refrigerant is in the lines of the air conditioner. The absorption of heat in the refrigerant is improved by an evaporator coil. Warm air from the living area passes over and through the evaporator coil, which is usually located in the furnace or air handler, and the heat is then transferred into the cooler refrigerant. This process is maximized by typically using a blower to increase the amount of air moving over the coil.
The refrigerant, laden with the heat it absorbed through the evaporator, passes through the system until it reaches another coil, the condenser, generally located outside. At the condenser, a fan blade blows cooler outside air over the condenser coil and the heat from the refrigerant and condenser coil is transferred to the cooler air.
During this process, condensation will form on the evaporator coil. If the refrigerant inside the coil is not absorbing enough heat, the evaporator coil will be excessively cold and the condensation on the outside of the coil can freeze, forming ice, even when the air temperature around the coil is hot. This can occur when there is a loss of refrigerant in the system, perhaps due to a leak, which minimizes the amount of heat that can be absorbed. It can also occur when there is not enough air flowing over and through the evaporator coil due to dirty coils, ducts, closed or blocked registers and returns, or other high static conditions that result in restricted airflow, resulting in less heat transfer.
It is important to regularly check the system to assure that the refrigerant charge is at the level recommended by the equipment manufacturer for proper operation. Changing and cleaning filters is also a critical step needed for the system to provide expected performance. The icing condition not only prevents proper cooling, but when the ice melts, excessive water can cause severe damage to ceilings, walls, and flooring. For this reason, a proper condensate management system should always be installed at the evaporator.
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