Caring for the outdoor unit of the air conditioner. How to wash the air conditioner at home. Preparing the system for summer or winter

Without proper care and correct operation the air conditioner can fail in the second year of operation. From the very day the split system is installed, it is necessary to fulfill all the requirements for its maintenance and avoid conditions due to which the air conditioner may break down. Any climate system consists of two blocks: internal and external. Wrong care behind the elements of both blocks can significantly shorten the life of the air conditioner.

Reasons for the failure of the air conditioner:

The operation of the air conditioner in the cold season.
Clogged air filters and fouled evaporator.
Lack or leakage of freon from the air conditioner.

Maintenance of air conditioning in the apartment in the winter season

It consists in adapting the device to low temperature conditions. The use of a standard air conditioner in winter significantly reduces the operating life of the compressor.

Almost all split systems imported into our country are not adapted to work in our winters. There may be various problems during the operation of the appliance, for example, in the cooling mode, the formed water will not be able to flow out through the drain pipe due to the formation of ice in it. As a result, the condensate indoor unit pour into the room.

In order for the air conditioner to work without problems at a sufficiently low temperature, a special all-weather unit is built into it. And this is an additional 150-200 dollars to the total cost of the climate system.

Absolutely any air conditioner can be prepared for winter. To do this, a compressor heating device is built into it, a device that regulates the speed of the fan of the outdoor unit, and a heated drainage is also installed.

Cleaning filters and radiator

The air filters located in the indoor unit of the air conditioner look like a fine multilayer mesh. They protect the radiator from getting into it small particles of dust, pet hair, fluff. Over time, all this accumulates on the surface of the filter and can lead to breakdown of the split system.

As the filters become clogged, the air flow through the radiator will decrease. Consequently, the air in the apartment will be cooled worse. And freon - a special refrigerant - located in the heat exchanger will not have time to evaporate. As a result, this can lead to the fact that the pipelines connecting the blocks will freeze up. After turning off the air conditioner, the ice will begin to melt, and the resulting water will drip from the split system.

The next problem that occurs due to dirty filters is the clogging of the drainage system with lumps of dust. In this case, the air conditioner will leak even more.

In addition, the cleanliness of the filters home air conditioner It is primarily a matter of health. After all, pathogenic microorganisms can settle in the accumulated damp dust, which, through the inhaled air, can enter the lungs of the household.

To clean the air conditioner filters, you must first remove them. How to do this is usually described in the instruction manual for the device. After that, it is enough to rinse them in water, dry them and install them back.

The radiator also needs to be cleaned periodically, as mold can form on it. Usually this business is trusted to special services that clean the evaporator with a steam cleaner. In addition, these services use special means air conditioner care. For example, antiseptics that prevent the rapid formation of mold.

freon leak

To determine the lack of coolant in the system, it is not necessary to have special devices. The first sign of a lack of refrigerant (freon) is the formation of frost and ice on copper connections outdoor unit. Insufficient cooling of the air in the apartment is also a sign that refueling of the air conditioner with freon is required. This, in contrast to cleaning the filters, is handled by the after-sales service.

Normalized refrigerant (freon) leakage occurs even at the very quality installation conditioner. It is about 6-8% per year. When freon drops below acceptable level, the split system may break. This coolant prevents the compressor from overheating. With a lack of freon, the compressor will not cool enough, overheat and jam. And replacing the evaporator is usually about half the cost of the air conditioner itself.

To avoid damage from a refrigerant leak, it is necessary to refill the air conditioner with freon and carry out subsequent refueling every 1.5-2 years.

Do-it-yourself preventive care for your home air conditioner

Almost all maintenance work on a home split system can be done independently. The only exception will be filling the air conditioner with freon.

Start with the indoor unit. It is necessary to remove the air filter mesh, vacuum it, rinse and dry it. The cooling radiator also needs to be cleaned, and then reinstall the filter.
The next step is to remove dirt and dust from the fan of the indoor unit. It is better to do this with a brush or sponge. Accumulated dirt on the fan blades reduces the cooling effect.
Next, clean the fan of the outdoor unit.
The condensate drain pipe must be blown out and cleaned. This is a tube from which the condensate formed during the operation of the air conditioner drips. If this tube is significantly contaminated, water may begin to flow into the apartment.
The cooling radiator of the outdoor unit also needs to be blown and vacuumed. The quality of cooling largely depends on its purity.
The final step is to replace the batteries in the air conditioner control panel.

These procedures are desirable to perform every season. They will extend the life of the split system for several years. And the whole job of cleaning the air conditioner will take a maximum of an hour.

So, the rules that must be followed in order for the air conditioner to serve for a long time and reliably:

Conduct regular cleaning air filters;
Carry out preventive maintenance at least once a year;
If the air conditioner ceases to function normally, you must contact the service department for help;
Do not use the air conditioner when the air temperature is below 0, unless it is equipped with an all-weather unit.

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The air conditioner, like many other car components, requires constant care and maintenance. What it consists of, we will talk after we briefly recall its device.

A car air conditioner works on the same principle as a normal air conditioner. household refrigerator, although it is arranged a little differently. It is a sealed system filled with freon and special refrigerant oil, soluble in liquid freon and not afraid of low temperatures. Oil is needed to lubricate the compressor and the entire system.

Theoretically, it would be possible to fill the air conditioner with ordinary propane, if not for its explosiveness. For refrigeration systems, special chlorine-containing compounds were invented, which, in addition to safety, also have a set desired characteristics. Despite some differences between air conditioners different manufacturers, them circuit diagram is the same. We will consider the most common option.

Car air conditioner So, when you press the button to turn on the air conditioner, the electromagnetic clutch is activated, and the steel pressure plate, having emitted a characteristic click, is magnetized to the pulley. The pulley is driven by a belt and, when the air conditioner is turned off, spins idly. Now the compressor is running. It compresses the gaseous freon, which makes it very hot, and drives it through the pipeline to the condenser (it is often called the air conditioner radiator by the people, which is true, since the highly heated and compressed freon is cooled in the condenser.

The fan helps him in this, which turns on at the first speed simultaneously with the compressor. If the car is driving - even better, the condenser is additionally blown by the oncoming air flow. Having cooled, the compressed freon begins to condense and leaves the condenser already liquid. After that, liquid freon passes through the receiver-drier. Here, compressor wear products and other dirt are filtered out from it.

Somewhere in the area of the receiver-drier, often on itself, there is a viewing eye. Through it, you can visually assess how complete the system is. Unfortunately, it is not available on all cars.

After being cleaned in the receiver-drier, freon flows towards the interior of the car to do its main job. The climax occurs when the liquid freon passes through the thermostatic expansion valve (TRV). The expansion valve is installed on the pipeline through which liquid freon enters the evaporator. If the evaporator is completely filled with liquid freon, then saturated steam comes out of it, the temperature of which is equal to the boiling point. The regulatory body of the TRV is closed. If steam exits the evaporator, the heating of which exceeds the setting of the expansion valve, then the regulating element of the expansion valve is opened so that the area of its flow section corresponds to the permissible value. In fact, the TRV is an automatically adjustable throttle. Without going into thermodynamics, you can compare the expansion valve with the nozzle of an aerosol can.

Passing through the expansion valve and entering the evaporator, freon passes into gaseous state(boils) and at the same time it is strongly cooled. The evaporator is the same radiator, only smaller. Ice freon cools the evaporator, and the fan blows cold from the evaporator into the car interior. After passing through the evaporator, the still sufficiently cold freon enters the compressor again. The circle closes.

The part of the system from the compressor to the expansion valve is called the pressure line. It can always be identified by thin tubes that are warm or hot. The part from the evaporator to the compressor is called the return line, or line low pressure. It is made of thick tubes and feels icy to the touch. If in the pressure line during the operation of the compressor the pressure fluctuates from 7 to 15 atmospheres (in emergency cases and up to 30), then in the return line the pressure does not exceed one or two atmospheres. When the air conditioner is turned off, the pressure in both lines is equalized and is about five atmospheres.

Per proper work The system is monitored by several sensors. Their number varies. In our case, the receiver-drier has a sensor for switching on the second fan speed. When the cooling of the condenser is not enough (for example, you are standing in a traffic jam), the pressure in the pressure line begins to rise rapidly, and the freon in the condenser stops condensing. The sensor reacts to a pressure surge and turns on the fan at full power. The sensor turns off the compressor if the pressure in the pressure line reaches exorbitant values. The sensor turns off the compressor if the evaporator temperature gets too low.

That, in fact, is all that can be said about the design and operation of an automobile air conditioner. Now let's talk about its maintenance.

AT car air conditioner The compressor is the most subject to mechanical wear. The rest of the elements (except fans) are fixed. But most often it is not he who fails first, but the condenser - a heat exchanger installed in front of the engine radiator. It is under pressure (up to 20 atm.) and is constantly exposed to salt, dirt, etc. flying from the road. Corrosion, vibration, mechanical stress lead to the formation of microcracks in it and to the leakage of refrigerant. Keeping the engine compartment clean will help to extend its service life, as well as other parts of the air conditioner. Especially carefully it is necessary to wash the condenser from the accumulated salt deposits in the spring. In addition, fouling of the condenser is often the only reason for the poor performance of the air conditioner.

In the process of washing the engine compartment, it is useful to check the reliability of the mechanical fastening of the tubes - freon pipelines. If any tube vibrates, it must be fixed.

Also, when operating a car with air conditioning, it is useful to check the oil level in the engine, coolant in the radiator, and the tension of the drive belt more often. It's connected with increased load on the engine, which creates a running air conditioner.

Any special measures to prepare the air conditioner for summer season usually not required. We can only recommend checking its performance in advance, before the onset of warm days, and if you suspect insufficient efficiency or a malfunction, call the service for diagnostics and refueling the air conditioner. We usually put it off until the last minute, and with the onset of heat, long queues appear in all air-conditioning companies.

A condenser that has served five to seven years almost always has numerous foci of corrosion, especially at the attachment points. In the area where microcracks appear, a characteristic spot from seeping oil appears on it. Such a condenser must be replaced at the next service of the car. Attempts to brew it are most often doomed to failure - the problem will soon reappear, perhaps in the place of another corrosion center. True, some firms with good equipment on argon-arc welding, as well as qualified specialists, this sometimes succeeds.

How to use the air conditioner and not get sick?

How to take care of your car air conditioner?

Eight important tips specialists:

1. To cool the interior faster, first lower all the windows and ventilate the car for a couple of minutes. Then turn on the air conditioner at high power and direct the flow through the central and side deflectors (windows from which air blows). Do not direct the cold air stream on the glass: from the temperature difference (it's hot outside), they can crack.

2. After a couple of minutes, the air will become cold - then turn the fan to low speed, and the air supply to the legs.

3. Do not forget that in heavy urban traffic, the air conditioning system is overstressed and may even cause the engine to overheat. Therefore, during the journey, look at the coolant scale - the sensor on dashboard should not exceed 100 degrees. If the arrow approaches the red mark, turn off the air conditioner.

4. How not to catch a cold from the air conditioner? With frequent changes in temperature (street - car), the body is under stress, so no matter how hot it is, do not cool the interior very much. best temperature for a person +22 +24 degrees. Not only drivers want to plunge into such heat.

5. In what position should the air circulation mode switch be set (to be supplied from the outside or only internal)? If you need to quickly cool the air inside, put it on the "cabin only" mode for a while, but after 10 - 15 minutes, return the circulation from the outside. Otherwise, the humidity in the cabin will increase and the windows will fog up.

6. If you turn on the air conditioner, close the windows. And vice versa. Otherwise, a double cross draft will quickly become the cause of a summer sore throat.

7. Try not to get under the direct direction of the air flow, install it so that the air is dispersed evenly.

8. No matter how hot it is outside, turn off the air conditioner from time to time and open the windows: the air inside the car is more polluted than the most gassed highway, and fungal plaque and bacteria accumulate in the air conditioning systems over time. Change your air filters to new ones once or twice a year to prevent breathing these microorganisms.

In connection with the application advanced technologies and high-tech components, modern split systems can do a lot: filter, cool and purify the air, cope with a huge amount of work in large rooms, work throughout the year, etc. However, the quality of their work and service life depends entirely on compliance with the rules for operating the air conditioner.

Maintaining an air conditioner is a daily responsibility of the buyer: having bought an air conditioner, you are obliged to ensure that it is properly maintained or, in extreme cases, constantly monitor the timing when a scheduled technical inspection is required.

This means that in order for your air conditioner to serve as long as possible, you need to know about those cleaning and maintenance measures that you have to do regularly.

We clean the filters of the indoor unit

This is the same unit that is placed indoors and supplies you with fresh cool air. You should be aware that ensuring the cleanliness of the filters of the indoor unit of the air conditioner is not included in the mandatory warranty service activities, however, if you ignore this procedure, you can get unpleasant consequences. The fact is that if the filters become dirty, this leads to a significant deterioration in heat transfer, which contributes to the formation of ice on the radiator of the air conditioner. It is clear that when the device is turned off, the ice will melt and water will flow from the block. Similar unpleasant consequences will make themselves felt even if it is contaminated drainage system air conditioner, as the dirty filters of the indoor unit cause clogging inside the drain pipes.

All this can be prevented by simple filter cleaning procedures. The filter itself is fine mesh impervious to dust and various small particles. Depending on the level of dust in the room, additional linings can be inserted into the filters to provide more effective cleaning air. In order for the split systems to work smoothly and efficiently, the filters of the indoor unit must be washed well with a stream of water at least twice a month.

Refill with refrigerant (freon)

Freon is a very specific gas that inevitably seeps through internal communications. Refrigerant should not be allowed to leak, if it is not enough, it may disrupt the operation of the air conditioner or completely disable it. In modern split systems, there are special indicators, sound or light, which, in the event of a decrease in the amount of freon in the system, will promptly give a signal about this. Such a signal will mean that it is time to call specialists and refuel the air conditioner with gas.

If the leak is natural, then refilling the air conditioner with freon can be done once every one and a half years. However, with poor-quality installation of the air conditioner, when the leakage occurs in significant volumes, the system must be refueled more often.

Cleaning the outdoor unit of the air conditioner

Cleaning the outdoor unit is also milestone air conditioner maintenance. Usually done by experts service center and also not included in the circle warranty obligations. The outdoor unit is cleaned at least twice a year: in the spring - before the active operation of the split system and in the summer - during or after the invasion of poplar fluff. Summer is also rich in an abundance of dust, urban dirt and insects, which causes serious blockages outdoor block. Therefore, sometimes during the summer it needs to be cleaned twice.

Getting your air conditioner ready for winter

Most air conditioners that are supplied to our country are not subject to operation in the winter. The device is turned off in the range from 0 to -5 degrees, at which the operation of the air conditioner is undesirable, since at this temperature the drainage system begins to freeze, and the operation of the compressor is complicated. Before the onset of severe frosts, you need to do a preventive cleaning of the system and turn off the air conditioner from the mains.

But in general, it is quite possible to operate in winter time, it is simply necessary to supply the split system with a special adaptation kit that protects internal communications and provides reliable performance in cold weather.

All of these air conditioner care procedures must be taken seriously. Indeed, often simple preventive maintenance will prevent complex repairs, additional material and time costs and, most importantly, increase the life of the air conditioner for many years.

Finally, your home has become much more comfortable, because you have fulfilled your dream and got a split system or air conditioning! Despite the euphoria from such a wonderful purchase, it is necessary now to think about caring for this equipment. This is a TV, iron or vacuum cleaner, you can simply plug it in and use the appliances. With a split system or air conditioning, the situation is completely different. With proper operation and competent care of climate equipment, it will last 15-20 years. But, if this is not done, the result can be disastrous - only 2-3 years of operation.

How to understand that the operation of a split system or air conditioner is incorrect?

Air conditioners of the highest quality category, such as, for example, Mitsubishi, Daikin and Fujitsu , equipped efficient system self-diagnosis. If there are any deviations in the work, it does not allow the climatic equipment to work, which allows you to protect it from incorrect operation. As for the cheaper options, they do not provide a self-diagnosis system, which is why the split system will function even if misuse. Before putting the equipment into operation, it is necessary to carefully study the instructions that are attached to it.

The peculiarity of caring for split systems is explained by its internal structure which includes indoor and outdoor unit. The internal includes the fan and the evaporator (radiator), and the external includes the compressor (radiator) and the condenser (fan). They are connected by copper pipes, through which, during the operation of the air conditioner, a mixture of freon and compressor oil moves from the external unit to the internal one, and vice versa. Fans, which are equipped with both units, contribute to the even distribution of cold and hot air generated around the radiators.

Now we come to the question of the need to care for air conditioners and split systems.

Filters installed in the indoor unit of the split system

Filters are usually a fine mesh located under the front panel. It is necessary so that in the process of “sucking in” air from the street, fine dust particles are retained. These filters must be kept clean at all times in order to perform their intended purpose. To do this, you need to clean them regularly. Optimally - 2-3 times a week, taking into account the degree of contamination of the filters. You can find this information in the instructions.

If you do not follow this recommendation, problems will quickly arise in the operation of the indoor unit. The air in the room will be poorly cooled, causing the system to work harder to function. Because of this copper pipes may be covered with ice. When melting, water will drip from the air conditioner.

Clogged filters are a place of concentration a large number dust. Water from the indoor unit will begin to be removed more actively, which, in the end, will lead to a breakdown. It is up to the users to clean the filters themselves. How to do this is indicated in the instructions.

Freon

Another common cause of air conditioner failure, which ranks second in frequency of occurrence, is freon leakage. It is believed that annually, in the order of the norm, the system can lose up to 6-8% freon. This usually happens at the junctions of the interconnecting pipeline. To prevent the loss from becoming critical, it is necessary to refuel freon every 1.5-2 years. If this is not done, then after approximately the same period, the freon level will be so low that the entire system will begin to suffer. Most importantly, the compressor will overheat, which will eventually fail. To replace it with a new one, you will need to spend half the cost of the air conditioner.

How to determine the lack of freon? Easily! Ice-covered areas indicate this copper tubes at the points of connection with outdoor unit, as well as insufficient cooling of the air in the room. At the "inlet" and "outlet" temperature difference should be at least 8-10ºС. If something is wrong, then this is a signal that you need to immediately contact a master specializing in the maintenance of air conditioning systems.

Features of the operation of a split system in the winter

The need for year-round use of a split system may arise due to the high content of odor and dust in the room, as well as to provide heating.

Air conditioners from a low and medium price category are not recommended for heating a room if the temperature outside is -20ºС or lower. The power of the entire system will decrease by a factor of three, causing the compressor to suffer. His workforce is shrinking. The condensate formed during cooling, due to the ice plug, does not have the opportunity to go outside, which will cause it to enter the room from the indoor unit.

To avoid this, you need to adapt the system to such work. It is equipped with “warm” drainage, a fan speed controller in the outdoor unit and a special device for heating the compressor crankcase.

If water is released from the air conditioner into the room, signs of glaciation appear, the equipment begins to work worse, you need to contact a specialist in order to diagnose and fix the problem.

4. Once a year, the equipment requires preventive maintenance, which may include cleaning the indoor and outdoor units, refueling with freon.

How to fill the air conditioner with freon by weight, pressure, current, overheating and cooling

Due to the use of advanced technologies and high-tech components, modern split systems can do a lot: filter, cool and purify the air, cope with a huge amount of work in large rooms, work throughout the year, etc. However, the quality of their work and service life depends entirely on compliance with the rules for operating the air conditioner.

This means that in order for your air conditioner to serve as long as possible, you need to know about those cleaning and maintenance measures that you have to do regularly.

We clean the filters of the indoor unit

This is the same unit that is placed indoors and supplies you with fresh cool air. You should be aware that ensuring the cleanliness of the filters of the indoor unit of the air conditioner is not included in the mandatory warranty service activities, however, if you ignore this procedure, you can get unpleasant consequences. The fact is that if the filters become dirty, this leads to a significant deterioration in heat transfer, which contributes to the formation of ice on the radiator of the air conditioner. It is clear that when the device is turned off, the ice will melt and water will flow from the block. Similar unpleasant consequences will also make themselves felt if the drainage system of the air conditioner is contaminated, since the contamination of the filters of the indoor unit forms a blockage inside the drainage pipes.

All this can be prevented by simple filter cleaning procedures. The filter itself is a fine mesh that does not allow dust and various small particles to pass through. Depending on the level of dust in the room, additional linings can be inserted into the filters to provide more efficient air purification. In order for the split systems to work smoothly and efficiently, the filters of the indoor unit must be washed well with a stream of water at least twice a month.

Refill with refrigerant (freon)

Cleaning the outdoor unit of the air conditioner

Cleaning the outdoor unit is also the most important step in air conditioner maintenance. It is usually made by specialists of the service center and is also not included in the scope of warranty obligations. The outdoor unit is cleaned at least twice a year: in the spring - before the active operation of the split system and in the summer - during or after the invasion of poplar fluff. Summer is also rich in an abundance of dust, urban dirt and insects, which causes serious blockages in the outdoor unit. Therefore, sometimes during the summer it needs to be cleaned twice.

Getting your air conditioner ready for winter

But in general, operation in winter is quite possible, it is just necessary to supply the split system with a special adaptation kit that protects internal communications and ensures reliable operation in cold weather.

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