While troubleshooting and repairing refrigeration systems, a common problem is a starved evaporator, meaning not enough refrigerant is entering the evaporator for the heat load placed on it. This is usually verified by measuring a higher-than-normal refrigerant superheat value leaving the evaporator.
There are several possible system issues that can cause this condition, and it is important to determine the correct root cause. Misdiagnosing the problem can lead to an improper repair and create additional issues, compounding the system failure and perhaps masking the original issue.