What could indicate excessive superheat in a cooling system?

Excessive superheat in a cooling system primarily indicates that there is insufficient refrigerant entering the evaporator coil, which is often referred to as a "starved" system. When the refrigerant flow is hindered or restricted, it does not absorb as much heat as it should, resulting in an increase in the superheat of the vapor returning to the compressor.

This condition can lead to several performance issues, including reduced cooling efficiency, higher energy consumption, and potential damage to the compressor over time from running with high superheat.

While high ambient temperature, low humidity levels, and increased airflow can influence the overall performance of a cooling system, they do not directly indicate that there is excessive superheat, which is specifically linked to the flow and condition of the refrigerant within the system.