In a perfect world, refrigeration systems would be 100% efficient. Since refrigeration is basically a system of heat exchange in two directions, heat exchange is an extremely important part of the equipment's efficiency.

In other words, all of the "latent" (available or potential) heat would be transferred without any losses at all. The temperature of the coldest region of the pipe's contents would be transferred directly across any barriers...like the walls of the piping.

The first factor influencing efficiency is the flow of refrigerant through the piping. When liquids or gases flow in pipes, they produce a condition called "Boundary Layer Effect"

Boundary layers appear on the surface of bodies in viscous flow because the fluid seems to "stick" to the surface. Right at the surface the flow has zero relative speed and this fluid transfers momentum to adjacent layers through the action of viscosity. Thus a thin layer of fluid with lower velocity than the outer flow develops. The requirement that the flow at the surface has no relative motion is the "no slip condition".

The zero slip condition at the surface arises from the roughness of the surface on a molecular scale. Fluid molecules hitting the surface impart a net momentum to the surface and the mean velocity of molecules hitting the surface is about the same as the surface velocity.

Even when the surface is extremely smooth, electrostatic forces exist between the surface and the air molecules, introducing the shear stress at the surface.

This results in the liquids or gases closes to the boundary being either warmer or cooler than in the center of the piping.

This "boundary layer serves as a sort of "insulator" to the liquids or gases closest to the center of the pipe.
Adding a genuine Signet-PF to your system will increase efficiency to a point even better than "new".

The polarized molecules of the additive have a positive "charge". This causes them to be attracted, magnetically, to the metal parts within your system, most conspicuously seen in your piping and heat exchangers.

The polarized particle serves two purposes:

• It disrupts the "laminar flow effect" by reducing friction losses in the piping.
• It helps transfer heat (in both directions) because it has an extremely high heat-exchange co efficiency. This makes your system more efficient, producing colder temperatures...reducing the amount of time your system needs to "work".

Another factor affecting efficiency is "oil carryover". Oil carryover is not a desirable condition, but it is practically unavoidable. Your compressor requires oil to accomplish two tasks. First, the oil provides lubrication to moving parts within your compressor system. Second, it serves as a seal (which allows your compressor to "compress").

Even screw compressors, which are the best performers in terms of oil carryover will produce this phenomena.

This carryover results in oil being deposited onto the walls of your piping, where it acts as an insulator. This reduces the heat exchanging properties of your system.

A properly formulated Signet-PF does not treat the oil, it treats the METAL. First, it displaces the oil adhering to the walls of your piping. Then, it remains in place providing a barrier which stops oil from adhering after treatment.

As you can see, the combination of the two conditions (boundary layer effect and oil carryover) constitute a "one-two punch" which adversely affects your refrigeration efficiency.

A properly formulated Signet-PF does not treat the oil, it treats the METAL. First, it displaces the oil adhering to the walls of your piping. Then, it remains in place providing a barrier which stops oil from adhering after treatment.

Signet-PFs will even displaced "cooked" (or carbonized) deposits, allowing them to be flushed out of the system. This is one of the reasons it is so important to perform follow-up checks after installation.