An orifice tube is a small device installed in your car’s exhaust manifold. It allows excess pressure to escape before it can cause damage to other parts of your engine. Without an orifice tube, there’s a chance that carbon buildup could cause problems like overheating and damaged pistons while also causing damage to other internal engine components like belts and hoses.
In this guide, we’ll explain what symptoms you should look out for if you think your orifice tube may be failing and how often they need replacing:
The Compressor Is Not Able To Pull In The Specified Amount Of Refrigerant
If your orifice tube is blocked, it could be that the compressor cannot pull in the specified amount of refrigerant. This means that a high-pressure drop across your compressor and condenser coil causes an increase in temperature rise and compressor capacity.
This may cause damage to your compressor by reducing its lifespan and increasing maintenance costs, as well as potential system leaks due to low refrigerant levels.
An Intermittent Loss Of Air Conditioning
You may have noticed that your air conditioning isn’t as cool as it used to be, but you need help pinpointing the problem. When this happens, it’s important to avoid jumping straight into replacing parts or assuming a new system is needed. The symptoms of an intermittent loss of air conditioning can be very similar to that of damaged or discharged refrigerant from a leak. It’s important to get a thorough diagnosis before replacing parts to know exactly what needs fixing and how much it will cost.
A Loud Hiss Coming From Inside The A/C System
There are two types of hissing sounds that you may hear: a slow, steady hiss and a loud hiss. The size of the leak largely determines the difference between these.
If you have a slow leak, which is probably due to some obstruction in your A/C system, it might not generate enough sound to be audible without using some sort of listening device like a stethoscope or other similar instrument. If your A/C system has been compromised by an object that fell into it during travel or construction work nearby (e.g., loose screws), then this type of leak is probably because these types of obstructions can be hard to find on their own, so they need time before they cause any damage.
On the other hand, if there’s a blockage somewhere in your system but nothing serious enough for its presence to cause immediate harm or discomfort—like when someone accidentally left open all those windows while driving through summertime traffic with everyone else closed up tight—then chances are good that instead though still present but not as severe as before may make more noise than usual until either fixed properly or removed completely at which point everything should go back down again (and hopefully stay there).
You Notice Bubbles Within The Sight Glass
If you see bubbles in the sight glass of your system, it’s a sign that there’s not enough refrigerant in the system. This can happen for many reasons, but if you have an orifice tube leak, it will cause bubbles to appear within the sight glass.
Conclusion
In conclusion, if your orifice tube is defective, then you need to replace it. This will resolve any kind of issues with your air conditioning system. In case you are still worried about changing the orifice tube on your own, call an HVAC professional for help.