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EPA 608 Core Exam·Dehydration & Evacuation

What effect does moisture have in a refrigeration system?

  1. AImproves heat transfer
  2. Causes freeze-ups at the metering device and forms acids
  3. CIncreases system efficiency
  4. DHas no significant effect

Correct answer

Causes freeze-ups at the metering device and forms acids

Why

Moisture can freeze at the metering device causing blockages, and combined with refrigerant and oil, forms acids that damage system components.

The concept behind this question

Evacuation pulls air and moisture out of a system before charging, and it matters because both cause real damage. Moisture combines with refrigerant and oil to form acids that corrode the system from the inside, and it can freeze at the metering device. Non-condensables raise head pressure and cut capacity. A deep vacuum lowers water's boiling point enough to boil it off at ambient temperature, which is why a micron gauge — not the compound gauge on your manifold — is the instrument that tells you whether the job is done.

More questions on this topic

Exam-style practice question. Not an official EPA exam question.