REFRIGERATION SERVICE ENGINEERS SOCIETY
m™@ Lesson 17
Heat Pump Piping
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After completing this Lesson, you will be able to:
"Discuss the requirements for providing proper drainage in condensate
piping installations.
"= Describe the difference between a “running trap” and a properly designed
condensate trap.
= Explain why double trapping can lead to poor system performance and
property damage.
= Explain why itis necessary to insulate condensate drains and auxiliary drain
pans,
= List the three most important considerations in designing a refrigerant piping
system,
Use refrigerant piping information like that provided by ARI to determine the
refrigerant mass flow rate of a vapor compression system.
* Calculate the total effective length of a refrigerant piping system.
* Determine the pressure drops that will occur in refrigerant piping (both liquid
and suction lines) for various pipe sizes.
= Estimate the system capacity losses that will occur when refrigerant pipe
sizes are reduced.
Explain the effect of a high liquid-line pressure drop on cooling performance
in low ambient conditions.
= Calculate the amount of refrigerant that must be added to a system when
pipe lengths are greater than normal, and explain the actions that must be
taken to protect the compressor.r3
= Lesson 17
= Heat Pump Piping
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JHERE ARE TWO KINDS OF PIPING SYSTEMS THAT AN INSTALLER MUST KNOW
how to connect comrectly. Both refrigerant piping and condensate piping
‘are very important in any heat pump application. Proper piping practices
will be the subject of this Lesson.
Moisture that condenses on the cooling coil of a system operating in the cooling
mode must be collected and carried away as waste. The condensate is collected
in a drain pan below the coil and disposed of by a condensate drain line piped to
an open site drain, This may seem obvious, but mistakes in the sizing, insulating,
trapping, and sloping of condensate drain lines are high on the list of causes of
customer complaints and property damage.
The capacity of any system that uses a fluorocarbon refrigerant for cooling
can be affected by the size and length of the tubing connecting its indoor and
outdoor sections. Refrigerant piping that is improperly sized and/or insulated
will lead to poor performance—and possibly equipment failure. If refrigerant
piping is installed incorrectly, oil may not be returned to the compressor as it
should be. Excessive pressure drop caused by undersized piping will lead to a
reduced refrigerant flow rate, Any reduction in flow rate results in a reduction in
system output capacity.
Guidelines provided in this Lesson apply to large and small systems alike. The
practices explained should be followed regardless of system size.
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