What are the symptoms of an internal leak on a 4-way reversing valve?

An internal leak on a 4-way reversing valve typically results in high suction pressure, which occurs because the refrigerant can bypass back into the suction line instead of continuing through the normal cycle. This situation leads to a scenario where the discharge pressure remains normal to low, as the compressor is not efficiently removing the heat from the refrigerant.

In this state, the refrigerant isn't providing sufficient cooling or heating due to the improper flow caused by the leak. The high suction pressure indicates that the refrigerant is not adequately cycling through the system, leading to inefficient operation. Understanding the pressure behaviors in various refrigerant circuits is crucial for diagnosing issues within HVAC systems, particularly with reversing valves that control the direction of refrigerant flow for heating or cooling applications.