REFRIGERATION SERVICE ENGINEERS SOCIETY m™@ Lesson 17 Heat Pump Piping QLELEGRGRGGE % SURCRERORORORORECems 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 we sa Mineo 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. re007