Table of Contents
Where is my orifice tube?
Because of the way an orifice tube works, it’s usually located on the inlet to the evaporator coil. However, on some vehicles the orifice tube location varies. Sometimes it is built into the liquid or high pressure line or inserted into the high pressure line right where the line connects to the condenser.
What happens when an orifice tube is clogged?
A clogged orifice tube is typically caused by compressor failure. When this happens, little pieces of metal and aluminum shrapnel will be found in the tube’s screen filter. If the filter’s filled with white or brownish debris, the desiccant bag in the accumulator has broken, sending desiccant throughout the system.
Is the orifice tube on the high or low side?
An orifice tube is used to control the flow of refrigerant into the evaporator. It works in conjunction with compressor controls to maintain low side pressure at a sufficient level, to prevent evaporator icing or flooding. The orifice tube is placed in the high side liquid refrigerant line, at or near the evaporator.
Can you clean an orifice tube?
We know of technicians who often remove the liquid line and back flush through it. In theory, back flushing the liquid line will clean the orifice tube. This is said to work in most cases; though replacing the liquid line is the preferred method. Remember, a dirty orifice tube can starve a compressor of oil.
Can an orifice tube cause a lack of cooling?
This freezing restricts airflow through the coils and eventually results in a loss of cooling for the vehicle. Faulty orifice tubes can also result in too little refrigerant flow through the evaporator. If this is the case, the flow of refrigerant will not be enough to absorb the heat that is coming from the condenser.
Do you have to replace orifice tube?
Car air conditioning systems need the expansion valve, or orifice tube, replaced if the AC is blowing warm air or the AC system is broken.
When should I replace orifice tube?
It becomes necessary to replace the orifice tube if the fine mesh screen or the internal components of the orifice tube become plugged, restricting refrigerant and lubricant flow. Orifice tubes also designate the dividing point between the “high” and “low” sides of the system.
Do you need an orifice tube?
The orifice tube controls the amount of refrigerant entering the evaporator, and its diameter matches those of the evaporator system for smooth engagement without leaks. As the orifice tube contains no moving parts, vehicles that use these parts also need to employ an additional method of controlling refrigerant flow.
What is the most common problem with the orifice tube?
If the AC evaporator or orifice tube malfunctions, it can cause refrigerant to flow unmetered through the vehicle’s AC system. This can cause the evaporator to freeze over, or frost to form or come from the vehicle’s AC vents.
What is the orifice tube in a car?
Orifice tubes for car air conditioning system The orifice tube is a tube with a given length and cross-section which expands the refrigerant but, unlike the expansion valve, it is unable to regulate flow rate and superheating. The orifice tube is always associated with an accumulator at the evaporator outlet.
What does an orifice tube meter?
An orifice meter is a piece of equipment used to measure the flow rate of a gas or a fluid. It mainly consists of an orifice plate, an orifice plate housing, and a meter tube.
What is the difference between an expansion valve and an orifice tube?
Expansion valves are an active device, they regulate the flow of refrigerant to the evaporator depending on evaporator temperature. An orifice tube is just a fixed nozzle that pisses refrigerant into the evaporator without any sort of feedback.
Where is the orifice tube located on a 2006 Honda Accord?
3. A clogged orifice tube: The orifice tube is located between the condenser in the front of the radiator and the evaporator in the passenger compartment.
Where is the orifice tube located on a 2000 Ford Ranger?
the orifice tube is located on the passenger side of the engine compartment.
What causes black death in AC system?
Black Death develops inside the compressor of a vehicle’s air conditioning system if the refrigerant breaks down. From here, the grimy and sharp particles created during the breakdown infect the rest of the air conditioning system, wreaking complete havoc. Before you know it, all airflow has gone.
Should I flush my evaporator?
Unless your system has debris in it from the compressor coming apart, or if the system has been open for an extended period, skip the flush. The evaporator doesn’t hold much oil, so I wouldn’t worry about flushing it just to remove oil.
Where is the AC drain line located in a car?
Go underneath the engine and locate the AC drain tube, which is a small rubber hose. Detach the tube from the engine so that you have access to the inside, where the clog will be located.
