After a compressor replacement, a residential split system is not cooling effectively. The evaporator appears starved for refrigerant, and the liquid line is sweating at the dryer. What is the likely cause?

The situation described suggests that debris from a burned-out compressor may have entered the system and clogged the dryer. When a compressor fails, it can produce particles and contaminants that may obstruct the flow of refrigerant. If the dryer is clogged, it would impede the refrigerant from reaching the evaporator coil effectively, leading to the appearance of the evaporator being starved for refrigerant and causing the liquid line to sweat. This process can create inefficiencies in cooling because the refrigerant cannot circulate properly, resulting in inadequate cooling performance.

Remember, the malfunctioning of a thermostat could typically lead to cooling issues, but it would not directly cause the specific symptoms of the evaporator appearing starved for refrigerant or sweating on the liquid line as described. Similarly, while low refrigerant levels can indeed affect cooling, the context implies that the system was just serviced with a new compressor, which suggests that the refrigerant level should be adequate if the installation was done correctly. Improper installation of the compressor could cause issues as well, but the symptoms align more closely with a clog in the system due to debris from the previous compressor failure.