solenoid valve

[hungry]

Hello guys.
Why would you have a solenoid valve installed in liquid line about 20" away from evaporator(metering device) in a regular air conditioner?

[docholiday]

Thats where it belongs. Ok nothing says 20" but it belongs inside by the indoor coil when it is used.

[hungry]

Thank you for the response Docholiday. BTW my favorite charecter in tomb stone. EXCELLENT.

BUT, why is the solenoid valve there? no need for it. correct?

[fireye03]

does the unit have a low pressure cut out?
if so it's for automatic pumpdown, solinoid closes causing unit to go off on low pressure.when the compressor calls again there's not a big load on it.

[t527ed]

carrier is the only equip i have seen this regularly done.
i do not think it pumps down, valve stops refrig migration when unit is off.

[fireye03]

my mistake,
the only time i've seen liquid line solinoids is on commercial splits,and they where for pumpdown.

[theblade]

Magic Chef, (Armstrong) did this in mid 1980's. 8 seer
a/c units. Could add selenoid valve near evaporator coil,
paralell with low voltage to condenser. When condenser stopped at end of cooling cycle, selenoid closed, trapping liquid line full of liquid refrigerant. Also required adding start assist kit on compressor. Next time on call for cooling, the refrigerant was there @ evaporator coil, ready to begin cooling cycle. They claimed this would raise seer to "9"

[MechAcc]

Does the condensing unit possibly have a scroll compressor? First generation scrolls required a solenoid valve to stop reverse rotation of the scroll when the thermostat cycled off. If you ever replace a scroll that has a solenoid you'll need to remove it as the new compressors do not require a solenoid valve.

[hoffa]

docholiday was my favorite character in Gunsmoke.