What can happen if vapor is incorrectly drawn from the wrong side of a refrigerant system?

When vapor is incorrectly drawn from the wrong side of a refrigerant system, one significant consequence can be liquid refrigerant removal. In a typical refrigeration cycle, the system is designed to draw vapor from the evaporator where the refrigerant has absorbed heat and turned into a gas. If the vapor is drawn from the wrong side, such as the liquid line, it can lead to liquid refrigerant entering the compressor instead of vapor. When this happens, the compressor is subjected to liquid slugging, which can cause severe damage ascompressors are designed to compress gases, not liquids.

Although the options of overheating of the compressor, loss of system efficiency, and increased energy consumption are potential issues in various other contexts, the critical danger associated with drawing vapor from the wrong side primarily involves allowing liquid refrigerant into the compressor, hence the selection of liquid refrigerant removal in this context. This emphasizes the importance of proper refrigerant flow management to avoid damaging the compressor and maintaining optimal system function.