What occurs if an external equalizer line disconnects and there is a 5 lb pressure drop across the evaporator?

When an external equalizer line disconnects in a refrigeration system, it can lead to improper pressure readings, particularly affecting the expansion device (e.g., a thermal expansion valve or TXV) that controls the flow of refrigerant into the evaporator. The external equalizer line allows for the equalization of pressure between the evaporator and the expansion device's sensing bulb, ensuring that the system can accurately regulate refrigerant flow based on the actual conditions within the evaporator.

If there's a 5 lb pressure drop across the evaporator due to the disconnect, the pressure that the expansion device reads will not correspond to the reduced pressure in the evaporator. As a result, the device may close or reduce refrigerant flow to the evaporator because it inaccurately interprets the conditions as needing less refrigerant. This reduced flow can lead to an insufficient amount of refrigerant entering the evaporator, causing it to starve.

Starvation of the evaporator means that there isn’t enough refrigerant to absorb the heat effectively, which can compromise cooling efficiency and performance. In this scenario, the correct outcome of the situation is that the evaporator would starve due to the lack of proper refrigerant flow resulting from the disconnection of the equalizer line and