11/22/2016

FreezestatWikipedia

Freezestat
FromWikipedia,thefreeencyclopedia

AfreezestatisatemperaturesensingdeviceforHVACthatmonitorsaheatexchangertopreventitscoilsfrom
freezing.Freezestatscanbeusedonbothfreontoair,andfreontoliquidtypeheatexchangersandserve
differentpurposeswithsimilargoalsforeach.

Contents
1
2
3
4
5
6

Aircoil
Watercoil
Mechanical
Digital
Seealso
References

Aircoilfreezestat

Aircoil
Thepurposeofanaircoilfreezestatistokeeptherefrigeranttoairheatexchanger(commonlycalledaircoils)fromfreezing.Thiskindoffreezestat
istypicallyusedforheatingcoilswhichareexposedtooutsideairandisusuallyinstalledonthesupplyairsideofthecoil.[1]Toaccomplishthis,they
typicallyshutdowntheflowofoutsideairtoamixingboxwhenthetemperaturereachesapredeterminedsetpoint.Thesetpointforaircoilfreezestats
istypicallyabout38degreesFahrenheitwhichisapproximatelywhenthedewpointtemperatureoftheairstartstodropbelowfreezingpoint.[2][3][4]

Watercoil
Thewatercoilfreezestatperformsasimilarfunctiontotheaircoilfreezestat,butisusedonadifferenttypeofHVACsystem.Itsfunctionistokeep
thefreontoliquidheatexchanger(commonlycalledliquidcoils)fromfreezing.
Inpracticalsituations,whenanaircoilfreezestatisnotused,bypassed,ordefeated,theaircoilcanfreeze,andthiscausesalackofairflowtothe
facility.[3]Bycontrast,whenawatercoilfreezestatisnotused,thewatercoilcangetsocoldthatitcanfreezethecoolingliquidintheexchangerand
bursttheexchanger.[5]Arupturedheatexchangermixescontaminantssuchasfreonandoilintothecoolant.Theintrusionofcoolantintothedelicately
balancedrefrigerationsystemcancauseexpensivedamagetocomponentssuchasthefreoncompressor,andthereversingvalve.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freeze_stat

1/3

11/22/2016

FreezestatWikipedia

Mechanical
Conceptually,mechanicalfreezestatsareconstructedwithadiaphragm,acapillarytubeandbulb,andan
electricswitch.[2][6]Thecapillarytubeallowsgasmovementtoandfromthecapillarybulbandthediaphragm
withafallorriseintemperature,respectively.Whenthetemperaturereachesaspecificsetpoint,thepressurein
thediaphragmwilltripaswitchwhichtypicallyshutsdowntheflowofoutsideairwhilethecapillarybulb's
temperatureisatorbelowthesetpoint.[6]Mechanicalfreezestatscanhavemorethanonesetofcontacts,andthe
contactscanbeNOorNC.[2]
Disadvantages
Capillarytubeeasilykinkedduringinstallationlimitingeffectiveness
Sensingbulbmustbemountedhorizontally
Diaphragmcasemustbemountedinaseparate,warmerlocationforeffectiveoperation[6]

Mechanicalfreezestat

Advantages
Typicallyinexpensive
Easilyunderstoodwiring

Digital
Digitalfreezestats,alsoknownaselectronicorsolidstatefreezestats,useanelectroniccircuit,microprocessor,
ormicrocontrollerinplaceofthemechanicalfreezestat'sdiaphragmandswitch.Theyalsouseoneormore
electricorelectronicsensorsinplaceofthecapillarytubeandbulbfortemperaturesensing.Digitalfreezestats
utilizingmicrocontrollersormicroprocessorscanalsoperformmoreadvancedfunctionsthansimplyopeningor
closingswitchcontacts.Digitalfreezestatscanperformseeminglyintelligentoperationssuchasreversingthe
refrigerantflowandusingsomebuildingheattothawafreontoliquidheatexchangerandthenrestoringthe
refrigerantflowtoitsnormaldirectiononcethedangeroffreezingthewatercoilhasbeenaverted.[7]
Disadvantages
Requirespowertooperate
Typicallyhighercostthanmechanicalfreezestats
Morecomplexwiringinstallation

Digitalfreezestat

Advantages
Multiplesensors
Sensorscanbenearorfar
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freeze_stat

2/3

11/22/2016

FreezestatWikipedia

Nocapillarytubekinkingissue
Nocapillarytubeleakingissue
Operateinanyposition
Operateinvaryingtemperatures
Programmableactionsandsetpoints
Canperformfunctionsotherthanopeningorclosingasingleswitch

Seealso
Thermostat
Refrigerantcompressor
Heatexchanger
Thermalexpansionvalve

Thermalexpansionvalve
Reversingvalve

References
1.http://www.tradelineinc.com/glossary/E1A3F82F5E0F4EB0
A90459BE3DF50AD5
2.TheFreezeStat(http://www.achrnews.com/CDA/Archives/a9b48f330c95a01
0VgnVCM100000f932a8c0____)JohnWilliamsJr.,CarrierCorporation,
TheAirConditioning,Heating,RefrigerationNews,July2001
3.FreezeProtectionProblems(http://www.airblender.com/ProdApp.php?pk=1
4)

4.EPAVentalationChecklist(http://www.epa.gov/iaq/schools/pdfs/kit/checklist
s/ventchklst.pdf)
5.http://www.geo4va.vt.edu/A2/A2.htm
6.CombinationTemperatureSensors(http://eepn.com/Locator/Products/Index.
cfm?ArticleID=33695)TrygveBehny,Minco,ElectronicDesign
(eepn),September2006
7.DigitalFreezeStatOperationalInformation(http://www.georgiacontrols.co
m/freezecopoperation.htm)

4.EPAVentalationChecklist(http://www.epa.gov/iaq/schools/pdfs/kit/checklist

Retrievedfrom"https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Freeze_stat&oldid=692414209"
Categories: Heating,ventilating,andairconditioning
Thispagewaslastmodifiedon25November2015,at14:42.
TextisavailableundertheCreativeCommonsAttributionShareAlikeLicenseadditionaltermsmayapply.Byusingthissite,youagreetothe
TermsofUseandPrivacyPolicy.WikipediaisaregisteredtrademarkoftheWikimediaFoundation,Inc.,anonprofitorganization.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freeze_stat

3/3