Quote Originally Posted by Chef View Post
Gary - the last two plates freeze to their design spec and the system is turned off manually when it is ready, if you add a little gas it starts to freeze back to compressor, its not a controlled system its run by feel the and stop the timer thats why it has never got back to the compressor (yet).
Most compressor manufacturers call for a minimum of 8-11K SH at the compressor inlet. At 2psi, the saturation temp is about -27C. If we add 8-11K SH, that gives us a minimum suction line temp of 16-19C at the compressor inlet. At those temps we would expect frost all the way back to, and maybe even on the compressor.

In truth, the suction line temp could be even lower, down to about 5C, without causing any damage. Frost at the compressor inlet does not necessarily indicate flooding.