Neglecting condenser water treatment, the first operational symptom is what?

• A. An increase in compressor head pressure
• B. A decrease in compressor head pressure
• C. A rise in refrigerant charge
• D. A drop in evaporator temperature

Answer: (A)

Condenser effectiveness drops when condenser water is not properly treated, because minerals and biofouling build up and insulate the condenser tubes. That reduces heat transfer from the hot refrigerant vapor to the cooling water, so the refrigerant isn’t condensed as efficiently and must be compressed to a higher pressure to reject the same amount of heat. The immediate result of poorer condenser heat rejection is an rise in the compressor’s head (high-side) pressure, since the condenser can’t reject heat effectively at the previous pressure.

That’s why the first symptom is an increase in head pressure. The other options don’t fit as the initial sign: head pressure would not drop due to this problem, a rise in refrigerant charge isn’t a direct early symptom of condenser fouling, and a drop in evaporator temperature isn’t the immediate effect—the system’s high-side pressure changes first as the condenser loses capacity.