Replacing Your Air Conditioner: What Type of Expansion Valve Should You Use?

It's usually a good idea to buy an OEM part to replace an AC valve. That means buying a TXV from the same brand of air conditioner as the actual unit for proper fit and efficient operation. The TXV determines which refrigerant can be used with a coil. Most new coils can be used with the R22 or R410A, provided the correct TXV is used.

A TXV can also be added to a piston coil to improve efficiency. This is a great idea when installing a new dry R22 unit into an existing system. You may not get 13 SEER with the old coil, but you'll still be able to boost efficiency. When adding a TXV to a piston-type coil, an equalizer line must be added. The equalizer line must be connected to the coil outlet near the location of the detector bulb.

The TXV is a modulating valve that controls the flow of refrigerant to the evaporation coils. This makes the system work as efficiently as possible and prevents liquid refrigerant from entering the compressor, which could cause a fault. When it comes to air conditioning components, expansion valves are often quite durable. As a result, they have fewer problems than more delicate parts, such as the compressor. However, expansion valves have to withstand large amounts of pressure from the side of the liquid pipe.

All air conditioning units use chemical refrigerant, which is easily converted from gas (refrigerant vapor) to liquid (liquid refrigerant) and vice versa. There, the rest of the liquid is converted to gas as it absorbs heat from the air passing through the evaporation coils. Ultimately, properly replacing a thermostatic expansion valve is a time-consuming and skill-intensive task, but it's extremely important for the efficiency and lifespan of your HVAC system. Your air conditioning system is based on numerous different components to keep you and your family comfortable during the summer heat. For the system to work properly, the TXV must precisely control the flow of liquid refrigerant, in response to system conditions.

The thermostatic expansion valve (TXV) is a measuring device that separates the low and high pressure sides of the air conditioning unit. It is now essential for HVAC technicians to understand the design and operation of this type of valve. If too much liquid enters the evaporator, the heat of the air will not be enough to “boil” all of it. You'll also likely have to pay other air conditioning system maintenance costs if you change this valve during your annual tune-up.

The suction pressure is measured with the valve located at the inlet of small coils (internally equalized) or at the outlet of larger coils (externally equalized). Even homeowners with little knowledge of air conditioning mechanics recognize names of components such as compressors and condensers. When coolant temperature drops, detection bulb causes valve to restrict flow of coolant and let less liquid through. One of design features of TXV is its ability to separate high and low pressure sides of air conditioning system.

First, before starting to replace TXV, technician must evacuate all coolant from system and then clean any remaining oil or contaminants. If your air conditioning unit has heat pump, contractor will first need to check that there are no refrigerant leaks before proceeding with repair. Replacing an expansion valve in an air conditioner requires skill and knowledge in order for it to be done correctly. It's important for HVAC technicians to understand how this type of valve works in order for them to properly install it in an AC unit.

The thermostatic expansion valve helps regulate how much liquid refrigerant enters into an evaporator coil so that it can absorb heat from passing air efficiently. When replacing an expansion valve in an AC unit, technicians must first evacuate all coolant from system and then clean any remaining oil or contaminants before proceeding with repair. If there's a heat pump involved, they must also check for any refrigerant leaks before continuing with installation. It's usually best practice for technicians to buy an OEM part when replacing an AC valve so that it fits properly and operates efficiently.

This means buying a TXV from same brand as actual unit being replaced. The TXV also determines which type of refrigerant can be used with coil; most new coils can use either R22 or R410A provided correct TXV is used. Adding a TXV to piston-type coil can also help improve efficiency when installing new dry R22 unit into existing system; although you may not get 13 SEER with old coil, you'll still be able to boost efficiency significantly. An equalizer line must also be connected when adding TXV so that it can control flow of refrigerant properly.

Expansion valves are usually quite durable components so they don't often have problems like more delicate parts such as compressors do; however they do have to withstand large amounts of pressure from side of liquid pipe so it's important for them to be replaced correctly in order for AC unit to work efficiently and last longer.

Fokje Wijk
Fokje Wijk

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