Which condition can lead to a starved evaporator in a refrigeration system?

• A. Adequate refrigerant charge
• B. Low refrigerant charge
• C. High system superheat
• D. Wide evaporator metering

Answer: (B)

A starved evaporator happens when there isn’t enough refrigerant reaching the evaporator to absorb heat. If the system is running with a low refrigerant charge, there isn’t enough liquid refrigerant circulating to fill the evaporator coil, so it can’t absorb heat effectively. The result is the evaporator operates with insufficient liquid, which raises the suction superheat and reduces cooling capacity.

Adequate refrigerant charge would keep the evaporator properly supplied, so starvation wouldn’t occur. High system superheat can be a symptom of a starved evaporator, but it’s the consequence, not the underlying cause. A wide evaporator metering device would typically change the amount of refrigerant reaching the evaporator in the opposite direction and doesn’t describe a condition that directly causes starvation.