What could head pressure be reduced to with proper purging when it is currently 162 PSIG and the condenser liquid drain temperature is 84°F?

To determine how much head pressure can be reduced with proper purging, it’s important to understand the relationship between pressure and temperature in a refrigerant system. The head pressure is typically related to the condenser’s operating conditions and the saturation temperature of the refrigerant at that pressure.

In this scenario, the condenser liquid drain temperature is given as 84°F. The corresponding saturation pressure for many common refrigerants at that temperature can help inform what the ideal head pressure should be if the system were properly purged. When purging a system, air and non-condensable gases can be eliminated, which typically reduces the head pressure.

In this case, reducing the head pressure from the current 162 PSIG to 149 PSIG aligns with a significant decrease in non-condensable gases, thereby improving the condensing process and lowering the pressure within the system. Since the question indicates that the head pressure could be reduced with proper purging, reaching a value of 149 PSIG is a reasonable expectation given the operational conditions. This value reflects a proper operational efficiency, maintaining a safe margin from the current pressure while not exceeding the saturation pressure dictated by the drain temperature.

Therefore, with effective purging practices, a head pressure of 149 PSIG indicates