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Tech Tips:

This tech tip was written with the guidance of Nikki Krueger, the Director of Marketing & Business Development at Santa Fe Dehumidifiers. Nikki has been a longtime contributor to HVAC School as a recurring podcast guest and presenter at the HVACR Training Symposium. Most of the illustrations and instructions came from Santa Fe's Ultra V […]

Traditional & Desiccant Dehumidification and When to Use Each (or Both)

This tech tip is based on a conversation with Nikki Krueger and David Schurk. Nikki is a longtime contributor to HVAC School and is a relatively frequent podcast guest and symposium speaker. David Schurk is the Director of Applied Engineering and National Sales Manager at Innovative Air Technologies. Nikki specializes in traditional cold-coil dehumidifiers, and […]

Tackling the Unknown with Data & Common Sense in Sizing & Installing Dehumidifiers

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Real training for HVAC ( Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning and Refrigeration) Technicians. Including recorded tech training, interviews, diagnostics and general conversations about the trade.

In this short podcast episode, Bryan talks about non-bleed TXVs and whether they need hard starts.

A non-bleed (hard shutoff) TXV is a metering device that shuts off during the off cycle; it closes shut when there is no superheat. This strategy prevents refrigerant migration, especially in cases where we have long line sets. Liquid refrigerant stays in the condenser and is kept out of the evaporator, suction line, and compressor crankcase.

When we have a non-bleed TXV, the compressor may have a hard time starting under the conditions created by the hard shutoff TXV (high head pressure, low suction pressure). Reciprocating compressors are more likely to have this problem than a scroll or rotary compressor. If you have a short line set, 230+ voltage, and a scroll compressor, you probably won’t need a hard start kit. You may need a hard start kit if you have a reciprocating compressor, a longer line set, or 208V power.

The OEM will recommend a hard start kit that is suitable for the equipment. Aftermarket hard start kits are okay if a compressor is old and struggling, but they’re not the preferred option and should be as close to the OEM’s recommendation as possible. Hard start kits typically consist of a start capacitor and a potential relay. Positive-temperature coefficient resistors (PTCRs) also exist, and these have a resistor that heats up and eventually takes them out of the circuit. Hard start kits should not be added to inverter-driven equipment and are not meant to compensate for voltage drop issues; they can cause more harm than good if they’re used when they’re not necessary or not used correctly.

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Search Episodes

Non-bleed TXVs and Hard Starts – Short #257

09/16/2025

Bryan Orr

Scroll Compressors & New Refrigerants w/ Copeland

09/11/2025

Bryan Orr