Air System Troubleshooting Guide
system is:
WE SUGGEST YOU CHECK THIS:
A. If your system has refrigerated dryers, check the condensation trap drain and verify that it is functioning properly. The condensation trap drain should be serviced once a year; if the condensation trap is not draining off the condensed vapor, the down stream dew point could begin to rise. Also, if your dryer is equipped with a mechanical drain, you may consider conversion to an automatic electronic drain.
B. Check the filter element of the condensation trap. This filter element could be plugged with contaminants or saturated. The filter element could also have a bad seat, allowing moisture past it, causing a high dew point condition. The condensation trap filter should be replaced once a year.
C. The refrigerated dryer could be low on freon charge. The refrigerated dryer works by cooling the evaporator coil and allowing air to pass over it. If the dryer is low on freon, it will not cool properly and will reduce the amount of condensation taking place.
D. The dryer's condenser coils could be clogged, preventing adequate air flow over them. This can be corrected by blowing out the debris and making sure that the coils are clean.
E. The dryer may be old and beyond economic repair. It may need to be replaced.
F. In some cases, especially with small compressors on intermittent duty, the load on the dryer may be too low for the dryer to work properly. If that is the case, bleeding air down stream or using a cycling refrigerated dryer may solve the dew point problem.
G. On multiplex systems, a high dew point condition could be created by operating two dryers at once. Each dryer should be sized to handle 100% system capacity; operating two dryers at once will create a low load condition as described in point F above. Operating a single dryer with adequate air flow across it could solve the problem.
H. The sensor in the system's dew point monitor could need to be replaced or the entire dew point monitor may need to be replaced if it is beyond repair.
I. If your system is equipped with desiccant dryers, the desiccant beads may need to be replaced. Over time the beads lose their ability to absorb water vapor and need to be replaced.
