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Discharge pressure (also called high side pressure or head pressure) is the pressure generated on the output side of a gas compressor in a refrigeration or air conditioning system. Higher discharge pressure could result in increased energy consumption and due to that less efficiency. [1] High discharge pressure is generally considered a negative except for the very rare cases where it can be used to achieve a certain pressure in the system. Additionally, higher discharge pressure can damage components. [2] The discharge pressure is affected by several factors: size and speed of the condenser fan, ambient temperature, [3] condition and cleanliness of the condenser coil, and the size of the discharge line. An extremely high discharge pressure coupled with an extremely low suction pressure is an indicator of a refrigerant restriction. High discharge pressure could result in multiple types of cavitation, including suction cavitation and discharge cavitation [4] which can lead to reduced system efficiency, wear on components, increased noise and vibration and ultimately system failure. [5] You can measure the discharge pressure of the system by installing a pressure gauge on the discharge line. [6] Carefully monitoring the pressure can prevent component damage and failure.
