superheat and subcooling

[jeep6275]

i was discussing the value of checking superheat and subcooling today with my boss/dad and he actually referred to it as new fangled and said that he was able to charge units (refer or acs) just fine before these methods were introduced. he really is not that old. hell my grandpa is still alive!

ahhh hello! is this not basic stuff. please tell me willis carrier used sh and sc.

jeep

[Tech Rob]

"new fangled"

The laws of thermodynamics are no recent discovery, and the pressure/temperature differential has always been the most fundamental of operating principles for AC&R.

[Special-K]

Subcooling was not commonly used until the last few years, still not as big a factor in refrigeration as it is in A/C.

Superheat was probably always around but we didn't have as good of instrumentation to check as we do now. Also, some of the old equipment was more forgiving than the new stuff is.

Yeah, the old timers often got away with feeling of pipes and watching frost lines. Taint that simple any more.

[subcooled_]

Without checking superheat and/or subcooling, your only ball parking the charge. It will likely operate but not as well as it should (efficiency/capacity). Precision charging requires checking what the refrigerant is actually doing in the system, as in how much of the evap. is liquid...can't tell by looking at it.

[BigJon3475]

hes got the I been doing this 20 years rule....That means absolutely nothing I have seen people doing their job for 20 years and shooting themselves in the foot because they stayed the tried and true beer can cold method. Lets put it this way if physics didn't work they would have abonded it a long time ago. Carrier being one of the oldest founders of A/C more than likely would have loved the method if he was around when it was founded. 1902 Willis Carrier designed humidity control for a new A/C system and pioneered modern A/C.

[the mojo]

Before you hand your dad a beer ask him if he want the subcooled or superheated version.

[jeep6275]

Subcooling was not commonly used until the last few years, still not as big a factor in refrigeration as it is in A/C.

Superheat was probably always around but we didn't have as good of instrumentation to check as we do now. Also, some of the old equipment was more forgiving than the new stuff is.

Yeah, the old timers often got away with feeling of pipes and watching frost lines. Taint that simple any more.

very good point. maybe i will cut him a LITTLE slack

jeep