Controlling metering devices

A method of operating an air conditioner, the method comprising:

• allowing the air conditioner to operate in response to an operation request;
• automatically adjusting an amount of refrigerant allowed to flow through a thermal expansion valve based at least partially on a temperature of a bulb of the thermal expansion valve;
• determining if a predetermined event has occurred;
• and
• altering an automatic adjustment of the thermal expansion valve, if the predetermined event has occurred, by:
• delivering a signal to one or more heat transfer elements, wherein the signal controls heat transfer by the one or more of the heat transfer elements;
• allowing heat transfer between at least one of the one or more heat transfer elements and the bulb to alter the temperature of the bulb;
• adjusting an amount of refrigerant allowed to flow through the thermal expansion valve based at least partially on the altered temperature of the bulb;
• monitoring a responsiveness of the thermal expansion valve to the delivered signal;
• and
• altering the amount of refrigerant allowed to pass through the valve by delivering an additional signal to at least one of the one or more heat transfer elements when the responsiveness of the thermal expansion valve is outside a predetermined tolerance range.