Liquid-Line Service Solenoid Valve

The primary purpose of a solenoid valve in a refrigerant liquid line is to prevent flow into the evaporator during the off cycle. On multiple systems, a solenoid valve may be used in each liquid line leading to the individual evaporators.

The application of a liquid-line solenoid valve depends mainly on the method of wiring the valve with the compressor control circuit. It may be wired so the valve is energized only when the compressor is running. This type of application is shown in Fig. 6-23.

Another application, known as pump-down control, uses a thermostat to control the solenoid valve (see Fig. 6-24 for a wiring and valve location schematic). When the thermostat is satisfied, the valve closes and the compressor continues to run until a substantial portion of the refrigerant has been pumped from the evaporator. A low-pressure cutout control is used to stop the compressor at a predetermined evaporator pressure. When the thermostat again calls for refrigeration, the solenoid valve opens, causing the evaporator pressure to rise and the compressor to start. This arrangement can be used on either single or multiple evaporators.

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