By purchasing any household appliances, we are simple buyers, we hope that it will serve us for a very long time and reliably. With regard to the TV, iron, vacuum cleaner, the principle applies - let it work until it breaks, that is, they can work without maintenance and repair long time. In relation to the air conditioner, this principle does not work. It is no coincidence that some users compare it with a car. For both of them, for long-term work, it is necessary Maintenance and the principle “do not disturb the machine to work” will not work here.

The air conditioner belongs to complex household appliances, therefore its operation and mandatory maintenance is carried out strictly in accordance with the attached instructions. Statistics show that without specialized maintenance, further operation of the air conditioner becomes problematic after two or three years. This applies to cheap models - LG, Samsung, etc. , and to the "super" ones - Mitsubishi, Daikin ... The only difference is that when working conditions worsen, cheap air conditioners immediately break down, while expensive ones have a premium class, protection will work and they turn off.

What needs to be done to make the air conditioner work reliably and for a long time?

1) Regularly clean the filters located in the indoor unit of any air conditioner. The user manual describes this in detail. Filters are a multilayer, fine-mesh mesh that completely covers the radiator, thereby protecting it from dust, fluff ... They are washed in warm water and dry in the open air. The frequency of filter cleaning depends on the degree of dust in the room. For some, once a month is sufficient, while for others, once a week is rare.

If they are not kept clean, the air flow through the evaporator is reduced, and the air in the room is less cooled. As a result of poor airflow of the heat exchanger, the freon inside it evaporates poorly, which leads to freezing. copper pipes lines, and when the air conditioner is turned off, the ice will melt and create drips. Dirty filters of the indoor unit of the air conditioner can lead to clogging of the drainage system, then water will flow in a stream.

"Sanitation" also requires washing filters, since pathogenic bacteria multiply in moist dust, which not only create bad smell in a serviced room, but also, getting into the lungs of a person, can cause serious illness.

It should be said that the filters should be cleaned by the consumer, and if the air conditioner breaks down due to their contamination, this will be considered a non-warranty case.

2) Every one and a half to two years, replenish the volume of freon in the compressor unit, with the exception of monoblock air conditioners, where freon does not leak. A small freon leak, approximately 6-8% per year, occurs in any case and does not depend on the quality of installation and assembly of air conditioners, and is the norm. This is a fee for connecting interblock pipelines using the "flaring" method. If refueling is not carried out for more than 2 years, then due to a lack of freon, the compressor may overheat and jam. The cost of replacing a compressor is about half the cost of a new air conditioner.

Signs of a lack of refrigerant in the system:

• The formation of frost or ice at the junctions of copper pipes (on fittings);
• Insufficient air cooling (temperature difference at the inlet and outlet of the indoor unit is less than 8-100 C). In this case, turn off the air conditioner and contact the service department.

3) Do not use the air conditioner at an outside air temperature below that specified in the instructions (approximately 0 - -50 C, depending on the model of the air conditioner). If it is necessary to cool the premises in winter, for example, server and computer rooms, or use an air conditioner for heating, then it is necessary to install an all-weather unit in the air conditioner that allows you to work at an outdoor temperature of up to -250 C. The increase in cost is $ 150-200, which reduces his consumer qualities(competitiveness).

4) Once a year, better in spring, conduct service maintenance , which includes:

• checking operation in all modes;
• cleaning of indoor and outdoor units. Internal - steam generator, external - high pressure washer. This will help maintain the performance and power of the air conditioner. If the heat exchangers are dirty, then the performance decreases, and the air conditioner runs constantly without shutting down and fails;
• check the freon pressure and, if necessary, refuel it.

So, if you follow these simple 4 rules during operation, then the air conditioner will work for a long time (on average 7-12 years, depending on the class) and work reliably.

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As a rule, when purchasing new household appliances, the user acts on the principle of “use it while it works”. Interference with the work of the correct household appliance, indeed, does not always justify itself. However, in relation to climate technology, the regularity of preventive maintenance can hardly be overestimated. For, in the absence of such a split system, with a high degree of probability it will fail already in the second or third year of operation. The cost of an air conditioner is not a guarantee of trouble-free operation, the threat is present both in the case of budget models of Samsung or LG brands, and models of an elite series of brands, Mitsubishi, Fujitsu. The only difference is that the latter have a greater degree of protection, a self-diagnosis function, which, in the event of deviations from the norm, will block the work, thereby preventing more serious violations and breakdowns of the split system.

To understand the reasons for the "capriciousness" of climate technology, it is worth considering the device of an air conditioner in general. It consists of two parts -. Connecting communication is laid between the blocks - two pipes through which rarefied and liquefied refrigerant circulates. The external unit consists of a massive radiator, which pumps cooling air from a fan and a compressor, due to which the refrigerant (a mixture of freon with a small proportion of compressor oil) under high pressure circulates in the system. The indoor unit (despite the various types of execution basic principle building one) also has a radiator and a fan, and their work is to carry out heat exchange and distribution of cooled air. But what is the weak link?

Causes of malfunction of the air conditioner

Critical contamination of the filters of the indoor unit. Under the front panel of the indoor unit, in the place where the air is taken in, there are filters, the function of which is to trap fine dust particles suspended in the air. The design is extremely simple and is the smallest grid. The essence of the air conditioner, like that of a vacuum cleaner, is to circulate air through its cavities, however, if the vacuum cleaner has a dust collector with a significant volume, then the filter takes on a similar role in the air conditioner. In addition to cleaning the air, air conditioner filters are designed to protect the radiator of the indoor unit. Therefore, it is highly recommended to clean the filters once every two to three weeks. As a rule, the manufacturer of climate technology takes care of the ease of removing the filters themselves, for this, most often, you don’t even need a tool. And for cleaning, you just need to rinse the removed filters under running warm water. Besides, detailed instructions for this prevention are always present in the instruction manual.

It is worth considering that when elevated level soot or dust in the room, it becomes necessary to clean the filters more often. It is necessary to control the degree of their pollution. If timely cleaning of the filters has not been carried out, then first of all this will affect the deterioration of the radiator airflow, as a result, the performance of the air conditioner will decrease. Violation of heat transfer on the radiator leads to freezing of the copper pipeline, and this is fraught with the fact that when the air conditioner is turned off, blocks of ice will begin to melt and begin to drip from the indoor unit. With a high degree of contamination of the filters, a blockage of the drainage system may occur, then water will flow even from the switched on air conditioner.

It should be noted that the standard warranty does not include a filter maintenance item. And you will not be able to make a claim in the event of a violation of normal operation associated with the lack of proper implementation of elementary preventive maintenance of filters.

Freon leak. Freon leakage is the second in the ranking of the causes of malfunction. Leakage is inevitable due to the presence of interconnection piping connections. The normalized leakage is 6 - 8% per year, in order to compensate for it, it is necessary to refuel with freon every 1.5 - 2 years. Such regularity is necessary to avoid critical low level amount of freon, which can lead to compressor jamming.

You can identify the fact of a leak by the following symptoms: frost and ice are observed at the junctions of the copper pipeline with the outdoor unit; drop in air conditioner performance (impossibility to achieve the difference between external and internal temperature at 8 – 10°C).

To prevent leakage, you must contact the service department of the climate company.

Air conditioning operation in the cold season

Another feature of household split systems sold in Ukraine, as well as in nearby Russia, is the lack of adaptation to work in winter period, that is, the lower temperature limit of most models is in the range from -5 to +15 °. The lowest average monthly temperature in Ukraine is average temperature for January and is about -15°.

Operation of the air conditioner without adaptation during the cold season leads to a significant reduction in the compressor's service life. And replacing the compressor at a cost comparable to half the cost of the entire air conditioner. In addition, already at temperatures below 0 ° C, it becomes difficult to drain condensate through the drain pipe, as a result of which, after some time from the moment the air conditioner is started, the accumulated condensate will flow into the room directly from the indoor unit.

Adaptation to our winter provides for equipping the compressor with a special crankcase heating device, installation on a fan outdoor unit additional speed controller, as well as equipment for warm drainage. Any split system lends itself to such modification.

Basic rules for operating the air conditioner

Depending on the class of equipment, the air conditioner has an average service life of 7 to 12 years. In this case, you just need to follow a few basic rules:

– Do not use an unadapted air conditioner at temperatures below 0°C. The previously installed air conditioner can be re-equipped for all-season operation, for this you should contact the climate company.

– Clean the filters of the indoor unit at least once a month. Monitor the degree of contamination and, if necessary, increase the frequency of cleaning.

- Every 1.5 - 2 years of operation of the air conditioner, it is necessary to contact the service department of the climate company for preventive maintenance, including refueling with freon, cleaning the indoor and outdoor units, as well as a complete check of the operating modes in order to identify faults. It is recommended to carry out such maintenance before the season of active use of the air conditioner. Regular refueling is essential to maintain the performance of the air conditioner. It must be remembered that freon leakage occurs even if the air conditioner is not used at all.

- If a malfunction is detected (the appearance of extraneous sounds, deterioration of air cooling, condensate began to drip from the indoor unit, if frost appears on the copper pipe connections to the outdoor unit), turn off the air conditioner and.

After the air conditioner has been purchased, in order to ensure its trouble-free operation, it is necessary to follow the requirements for its maintenance. First of all, it is worth remembering that after the purchase, the air conditioner plays the role of your "assistant", and it should be treated with no less attention than, say, your car.

After all, if you do not take care of the car, then sooner or later it will break. Also here plays a significant role and the "character of the ride." If you constantly "squeeze" the maximum out of the car, then its life will be much shorter. So air conditioners should be tested " good relationship". And the very first piece of advice that you need to follow is that if you do not constantly force the equipment to work at maximum power modes, then its service life will be significantly longer.

How to clean the filters of the indoor unit of the air conditioner?

The indoor unit of any air conditioner is equipped with plastic filters, which are a multilayer mesh with tiny cells. They serve to protect the radiator from dust particles, wool, etc. To clean the filter, it is enough to wash it in warm water and then dry it. Removing and installing filters is no more complicated than replacing a dust bag in a vacuum cleaner. Details on how to do this can be found in the instruction manual. Rinsing of filters should be done depending on the degree of their contamination, as dust and litter accumulate on them.

The more dirty filter, the less air flows through the radiator, as a result of which the cooling of the room occurs much more slowly. In addition, the operation of the refrigeration circuit is disrupted - the freon inside does not have time to evaporate due to poor airflow of the heat exchanger, which leads to freezing of the copper pipes. As a result, after the air conditioner is turned off, ice will melt and water will flow out of the unit. The next problem that happens due to dirty filters is blockage in drainage system because of the dust piles. In this case, the water from the block will simply flow in a stream. It is also recommended to wash the filters at least for hygienic purposes - pathogenic bacteria like to multiply in wet dust, which can then enter the surrounding air.

Indifference to the requirements for cleaning filters threatens with many troubles, because. The result of dirty filters is the formation of an ice cap on the radiator, and it threatens that when the device is turned off, the cap will melt and water will flow from the air conditioner.

Please note that filter cleaning is not included in the list of standard warranty services, and the consumer himself must monitor their cleanliness in accordance with the instruction manual.

What to do if there is a lack of freon in the air conditioner?

In second place in terms of frequency of reasons for the failure of the air conditioner is a normalized freon leak. Normalized leakage is about 6-8% per year and absolutely always occurs, regardless of the quality of installation - this is an inevitable process when connecting an interconnecting line by flaring. For compensation this process it is recommended to refuel freon at intervals of 1-2 years. If you do not refuel for more than 2 years, this will lead to a decrease in the amount of freon in the circuit below the permissible level, which can lead to the most unpleasant consequences - such as compressor jamming due to overheating. And replacing the compressor in the air conditioner will cost almost the full cost of the new air conditioner completely.

It is possible to fix the fact of a leak only with the help of special equipment. The primary sign of a lack of freon in the circuit is the freezing of frost and ice on the fittings of the outdoor unit, as well as a noticeable decrease in the cooling rate of the room or its insufficient cooling. At the first manifestations of these symptoms, it is better to immediately turn off the air conditioner and immediately contact the air conditioning service.

Cleaning the outdoor unit of the air conditioner

The specialists of the company "Elves" will competently clean the external unit of your air conditioner. Ideally, it is advisable to clean the outdoor unit twice a year - in the spring, i.e. before the start of the operating season and in the summer, after the poplars have faded.

Cleaning the outdoor unit of the air conditioner is not included in the list of services covered by the warranty service.

What should I do to use the air conditioner in winter?

To features domestic air conditioners also include the fact that almost all publicly available models are not suitable for work in winter time year, and the minimum permitted temperature for the operation of such systems is -5 degrees. This is explained by the fact that exactly the same models are imported to the Russian Federation as to the markets of Europe and Asia, where winter conditions much more gentle than ours. In addition, if the air conditioners were initially installed with a unit to work in any conditions, this would increase the cost of any model by $ 150-200, which significantly affects competitiveness.

As a rule, the need for the air conditioner to work constantly arises in two situations. The first is the need to cool the premises not only in the warm, but also in the cold season, for example, rooms where there is a large heat release from equipment - server rooms, computer rooms etc. The second - if there is a need for heating in winter, although this is not very justified, because. in any case, at temperatures below -20 degrees, the air conditioner loses power up to three times.

If you operate the air conditioner with negative temperatures, be prepared for the fact that there will be a significant reduction in the working life of the compressor. In addition, immediately after the air conditioner is turned on in cooling mode, the condensate from the indoor unit will not be able to flow out of the drain pipe due to ice blockage. As a result, after a while, water will flow directly into the room.

It is worth noting that any split system can be modified with a winter kit. The kit consists of a compressor crankcase heater, fan speed controller and "warm" drainage.

All this information applies to both split systems and mobile and window air conditioners. The only difference is that air conditioners consisting of one unit do not have the concept of normalized freon leakage. Therefore, they do not require periodic refueling.

The service and installation service of the Elves company will carry out qualified repairs of any type of air conditioner. For those customers who have three or more air conditioners installed, there is a special offer - a subscription to service maintenance and a flexible discount system! You can place an order for repair or maintenance, and ask questions about the discount system by calling 270-39-12, 268-96-46.

Warranty service

Elwes, according to the Law Russian Federation"On Protection of Consumer Rights", bears warranty obligations for all equipment sold and work performed. The warranty period is determined from:

• For any equipment sold by our company, the warranty period is at least 1 year.
• The warranty does not cover defects caused by poor-quality installation not carried out by our specialists.
• The warranty period for air conditioners purchased with installation is 1-3 years. For air conditioners Electrolux, Braun, Hitachi, Midea, Suzuki, JAX - 2 years, Daikin, Mitsubishi Electric, Panasonic, GREE warranty period will be 3 years. Warranty apply not only to the equipment itself, but also to installation work.
• If during repair work parts are replaced, the warranty for new parts will be 1 month.
• During the validity period warranty period the buyer has the right to free troubleshooting caused by a factory defect in the equipment, or poor-quality installation or service work. The warranty does not include maintenance work of a preventive nature - cleaning of filters and air conditioner heat exchangers. The warranty does not apply to expendable materials(filters, batteries, etc.).

Warranty obligations become invalid in the following cases:

• If the customer did not follow the rules for the operation and maintenance of the equipment prescribed by the manufacturer (improper preventive maintenance, neglect of the recommended operating modes, etc.)
• If the equipment has traces of repair, which was carried out by an unauthorized person.
• If the equipment has mechanical damage, as well as damage caused by ingestion various items, liquids, organisms.
• If the malfunctions arose due to the actions of third parties or force majeure circumstances - fire, flood, actual or declared wars, civil unrest, etc.)

Do not try to disassemble and repair the equipment yourself - otherwise you can not count on warranty repairs. Article 18, paragraph 6 of the Law of the Russian Federation "On Protection of Consumer Rights" states that "Defects caused by misuse If you could not solve the problem with the equipment, call the service center, the phone number of which is written in the warranty card (tel. TsTO "Elves" - 979-15-55, 270-39-12). In many cases, an experienced specialist will be able to find out the essence of the problem with the equipment and help you solve it over the phone.

If the consultations did not help, call a specialist at home. Service staff will repair the equipment right at your home or pick it up for repair at the service center.

Our address: st. Upper career, house 4.

1. In summer, during the operation of the air conditioner for cooling, the room must be kept closed. Blinds and curtains on the windows do not let through sunlight into the room, which prevents additional heating and promotes the operation of the air conditioner.
2. If the air conditioner does not have the "Supply fresh air”, then periodic ventilation of the rooms is necessary.
3. During operation, the air conditioner should not be closed with curtains and other objects so that air exchange is not disturbed and the set temperature parameters are maintained.
4. At least once a month it is necessary to clean the filter of the indoor unit. The filters are a fine mesh located under the front panel and trap dust from the air, thus protecting the people in the house and the radiator of the unit.

Filter cleaning is not included in the normal warranty service, and is carried out independently by the user of the air conditioner, as well as replacement. This must be done according to the instructions, where the cleaning procedure should be described in sufficient detail. As a standard, the filter is vacuumed or washed in warm water and dried.

Outdoor unit care

1. Shortly before the start of the season (in spring), you need to clean the heat exchanger of the outdoor unit and check all the operating modes of the air conditioner. The clogging of the heat exchanger with dust and fluff leads to an increase in the load on the compressor, overheating and failure. In case when outdoor unit is located in a place that is difficult for the user to access or special measures are needed (refilling with freon, troubleshooting), a service department is invited (these services are paid).
2. If the air conditioner is used in winter, some points must be considered. The air conditioner cannot be used when the outside temperature is below zero, or it must be equipped with an all-weather unit. If the instructions do not provide for operation at sub-zero temperatures, do not turn on the air conditioner at -20C. Otherwise, there is a possibility of condensed liquid freezing, ice and snow falling into the outdoor unit. The fan blades may touch the ice, causing breakage.

1. Do not immediately call the service team, first carefully study the instructions for the air conditioner, it details the types of problems and the possibilities for self-correction.
2. When leaving for a long time, before turning off the air conditioner, turn it on to the ventilation mode and let it work for a while - this will dry the internal parts and eliminate odors the next time you turn it on.
3. If water drips from the indoor unit, the drainage pipe. This often happens when sub-zero temperature outside, the air conditioner operates for cooling and the condensate is discharged outside. Freezing of condensate blocks the drainage of water, and it drips from the unit.
4. When the air conditioner is turned on for heating, and the temperature is below zero and the air humidity is high, there is a possibility of icing on the outdoor unit. In this case, the auto-defrost system helps out, if the air conditioner is not equipped with it, you can switch it to cooling mode when the outdoor unit begins to give off heat, heat up and thaw.

Be sure to follow the instructions for working with the air conditioner - this will extend the reserve of its work and avoid the possibility of premature failures, which will save your budget.

Choosing the right split system for your needs is only part of the story. It is also important to correctly mount it. The choice of specialists who will install the air conditioner should be taken seriously - after all, poor-quality installation can affect the efficiency of the device and its reliability in the future. Manufacturers recommend contacting authorized assembly organizations whose specialists have experience working with equipment of this particular brand. Otherwise, installation errors are not ruled out, which can lead, for example, to a freon leak and subsequent failure of the compressor, or - if the switching is incorrect electrical connections- air conditioner electronics.

Refueling is possible at the level of the 15th floor and above

Air conditioners need regular inspection by specialists. In the case of a household cooker system, it is advisable to inspect twice a year - before the start of the season (spring) and after it (autumn), if this is not possible, then at least once a year - in the spring. Split systems operated for a long time with a high degree loads (such as those installed in offices) need more frequent inspections.

What happens if you leave the air conditioner without scheduled inspections? Its performance depends largely on effective work heat exchangers. However, over time, their surfaces become contaminated with dust, fluff, etc. If the dirt is not cleaned periodically, the heat transfer will deteriorate and, as a result, the operation of the air conditioner will become less efficient.

However, the poor performance of the split system is not so bad. Much worse is that the contamination of the heat exchangers can lead to overheating of the compressor and its failure. In addition, over time, the system may leak refrigerant, which threatens to reduce the performance of the air conditioner, and in some cases, the failure of the compressor. Therefore, leaks also need to be detected in advance.

Maintenance of split systems should only be carried out by specialists who have both the equipment and skills for this kind of work. They will check the condition of the air conditioner, its operating parameters, if necessary, clean the filters and heat exchangers of the split system, and if they detect a freon leak, they will refuel with the required type of refrigerant.

Scheduled inspections of climate control equipment can also be carried out by specialists of the company that installed the air conditioner (if the contract provides for it), but you can also contact another organization that provides such services. It is important that the service company is authorized to work with the brand of equipment to which your air conditioner belongs.

It must be said that the manufacturers of split systems themselves guarantee the trouble-free operation of their models only if the operating rules are observed. Some companies may refuse warranty repair if it turns out that the instrument has not undergone a proper annual inspection by specialists.

I clean the filter myself

Maintenance of the outdoor unit of a split system should be left to professionals (especially since it is usually located on high altitude, and only people with special equipment and skills can get to it). But the user himself can take care of the cleanliness of the indoor unit.

Cleaning the indoor unit of a split system is necessary not only for the sake of extending its service life, but also for own health. The fact is that condensation forms in the indoor unit during the operation of the air conditioner. High humidity and an abundance of dust create a good environment in the device for the development of bacteria and mold fungi.

This focus is doubly dangerous because microorganisms can spread throughout the house with the air flow and cause diseases. Therefore, you should not neglect cleaning the indoor unit - you need to periodically wash the case, clean the fan blades and the heat exchanger (this can also be done with a vacuum cleaner), rinse or replace filters in a timely manner (if they are replaceable).

Of course, many manufacturers try to keep this work to a minimum - they make self-cleaning filters, cover the surfaces of the housing and heat exchangers with antibacterial or dirt-repellent compounds, and use dehumidification systems. However, cleanliness is still necessary.

Get a replacement!

Special attention deserves the issue of replacing obsolete or failed models with new ones. Split systems, as you know, consist of two blocks (internal and external), connected copper pipes through which the refrigerant circulates, as well as interconnection wires.

The technical parameters of all elements of this system (number of wires, diameter and design of pipes) may vary depending on the brand, performance and features of each particular model. Therefore, it is possible to install new blocks on pipes already laid in the walls only when all the parameters of the old and new models match - and it is not so easy to choose such a replacement.

As a result, in most cases it is necessary to completely change the entire system and lay new pipes. Things may be somewhat easier if new model- the same brand as the old one, they may have the same many parameters. Some manufacturers even specifically provide for the easy replacement of their equipment with updated versions.

AT last years On the market, there was a massive replacement of split-system models operating on R22 refrigerant with new models on R410A refrigerant. This happened in connection with the tightening of requirements for the environmental safety of freon mixtures.

Therefore, owners of air conditioners filled with R22 freon (such models were very popular in the Russian market due to the combination of low cost and good performance) may encounter problems when replacing a device that has served its purpose.

It is impossible to install new equipment operating on R410A freon on tubes from a model using R22. Rare exceptions are split-systems with R410A refrigerant, with the possibility of installation on pipes from R22 without prior flushing of the lines.

It goes there - it blows cold, it turns back - it will be warm

Most modern split systems can not only cool the air, but also heat it. This is possible thanks to the " heat pump": the device swaps the functions of the heat exchangers, as a result, the indoor unit begins to give off heat to the air, and the outdoor unit - cold.

At good conditions(not very low temperature outside the window) air conditioners heat the room even more efficiently than, for example, electrical devices heating. After all, the latter are not able to produce more than 1 kW of heat per 1 kW of electricity consumed, while the split system will cope with this task. It spends electricity not on heating the air, but on transferring heat from one medium (outdoor air) to another (indoor air) through the operation of the compressor and fans.

But still completely replace heating appliances air conditioners will not be able to - when the off-season changes into winter, the heating capacity of the device will begin to gradually fall. After all, the lower the outdoor air temperature, the lower the efficiency of the split system. And at very severe frosts appliances and will not be able to work for heating at all. Therefore, a decrease in the thermal power of devices with a decrease in outdoor air temperature is a natural phenomenon, and not a consequence of a split system malfunction.

A significant part of the air conditioners that are supplied to Russian market, are able to heat the air at frosts of about 5-15 ° C below zero, although some models are specially equipped with the so-called winter kit - they are more “frost-resistant” and work even at 20-30 ° C. So that the condenser of the outdoor unit does not freeze when working for heating in cold weather, many companies provide for the possibility of automatic defrosting of the heat exchanger.

Maintenance of the indoor unit does not require the owner special efforts: it is enough to periodically wipe the case and monitor the condition of the filters. Over time, air filters become clogged and can even become a source of pollution themselves. Therefore, they must be washed in a timely manner (if they are washable) or replaced with new ones.