Liquid line driers protect the metering device and absorb water that would otherwise form acids and sludge with oil. Suction line driers with acid-removing cores are fitted temporarily after a compressor burnout. A new drier goes in every time the system is opened. A temperature drop of more than a few degrees across a liquid line drier, or frost on its outlet, means it is plugging.
Cut out the old drier and braze in a new filter-drier while it's open, and don't leave the caps off it for an hour.
Keep a new drier capped until the last moment; the desiccant starts soaking up room humidity the second it is open.
Also heard as
- drier
- dryer
- filter dryer
Related terms
Flash gas
Liquid refrigerant that turns to vapor because its pressure dropped, either at the metering device or where it shouldn't.
Burnout
A compressor motor failure that overheats the windings and contaminates the system with acid, sludge and carbon.
Non-condensables
Air, nitrogen or other gases trapped in a refrigeration system that will not condense at operating conditions.
Sweat
To join copper pipe and fittings with a torch and filler metal drawn into the joint by capillary action.