What is this valve's purpose?

David40

Via a friend of mine.... He came across a walk-in cooler using R-22 that someone else had installed, where they used a residential A/C condenser. In this condenser someone had added a cap tube with a solenoid valve that energizes when the compressor is running, between the compressor inlet and outlet . My friend has never seen this and neither have I.
Is there anyone that could explain the purpose of this added valve and cap tube?
Thanks

beenthere

Probably to keep to from freezing up the coil.

__________________
How many times must one fix something before it is fixed?

superfittertech

used as a desuperheater to keep the compressor discharge superheat under control or as a way for capacity reduction

David40

Thanks for the replies. My buddy removed the thing, so I'll update this if anything interesting transpires. My personal preference would have been, "If it ain't broke, don't try to fix it!"

user2561

I do not believe a customer that has some jacked up walk-in...using a comfort cooling condenser as a refrigeration condenser....is seriously concerned with heat reclaim. Desuperheaters, in terms of refrigeration, are actual separate heat exchangers used with refrigeration equipment to absorb some of the heat from compressor discharge for other purposes.

More likely than not...due to the fact that the cap tube runs between the discharge and suction this is a jacked up attempt at hot gas bypass.

Sounds like they ran into trouble when they put equipment together for purposes other than which it was designed for. This "hot gas bypass" sounds like an attempt to correct a symptom rather than the problem.

This place sounds like a country store run by foreigners.

David40

That's a very accurate assessment, you must be psychic.

user2561

lol....years in the business gives one a wisdom not obtainable otherwise...except through Christ Jesus of course.