Heat pump

[bclark]

I discovered a kink in the refrigerant line. My supply and return registers had a 14 degree differential, the suction line was cooling back but the high pressure line (line with the kink) was not hot to the touch. Is this kink resticting the flow and should I write it up that it needs repaired?

[Jeffrey Moore]

Yes, I would call it out for evaluation.

[David A. Andersen]

high pressure line (line with the kink) was not hot to the touch.

It never should be! If the liquid line late at the condenser is hot to the touch then you have a blocked/dirty coil. What is the temperature of your hand? What is the design temperature of HVAC equipment? Coincidentally they are close to the same temperature. So if you feel heat, something's wrong!

If the kink is sufficient to cause a problem, the pressure will drop across the kink and cause the refrigeration temperature fall well below the freezing temperature and you will see frost on the line. I don't even see condensation on the line so even of the line is a funny shape the volume capacity is still the same.

Without a snowball on the line, you will never detect the effect of the kink with a Delta T air supply temperature test (but then everybody knows how I feel about that test).

Send this post to your client. I just conducted further evaluation! Free of charge... (but only if it was running when you took the pic).