Matt, what is subcooling, and why is it essential for system diagnostics?

In this edition of “HVAC Skill Builder,” Matt discusses the importance of subcolling when it comes to HVAC system diagnostics.

Matt, what is subcooling and why is it essential for system diagnostics? Well, subcooling is where you’re going to take the refrigerant, for example, and you’re going to cool it, allow its saturation temperature after it’s changed its phase, without actually freezing. So that’s going to be very important in an HVAC system, but you have the proper subcooling to ensure that the system is going to be able to cool properly. Now, if you don’t have the proper subcooling, there’s a few things you would need to check, such as air flow, possibly refrigerant charge, to see why the subcooled outside of its range. But again, there’s going to be a measurement where you can take the refrigerant and just be cooled down below its saturation temperature after it’s changed its phase, without it actually freezing.