Do-it-yourself air conditioner repair will significantly save not only money, but also time. But not every job can be done by an amateur, because an air conditioner is a complex equipment. Special diagnostic tools are often required. Determination of a breakdown is facilitated by the presence of self-diagnosis systems.
Diagnostics
To eliminate breakdowns of climatic equipment, they invite masters from the service center. But in the summer season, they are overwhelmed with work for 2 weeks in advance. Waiting until the master is free is long and uncomfortable, because the temperature in the apartment rises to 30 degrees. If you have tools, you can try to fix the breakage yourself. To do this, you need to have minimal knowledge of how the air conditioner works, which is easy to find on the Internet by watching a couple of videos about repairing household split systems.
If the air conditioner does not turn on, carry out a simple diagnosis:
- Make sure that the module is connected to the power supply: turn it off and turn it on after a couple of minutes.
- Do the same with the remote control, change the batteries in the remote control.
- Check the integrity of the wiring and the machine.
If none of the above actions yielded results, the repair of the household air conditioner will have to be entrusted to professionals.
The first thing that the masters do is test the device according to the main parameters:
- check filters and drainage system for cleanliness - power may decrease due to poor air circulation in the system;
- they measure the current and voltage in the network - in old houses, the wiring sometimes does not withstand the load, with voltage surges, modern devices do not turn on, as they are specially protected;
- the electronics master checks the board; modern air conditioners have a self-diagnosis function and issue error codes, so it is much easier to figure out what exactly "flew";
- banal reasons for equipment failure to turn on are considered - incorrectly selected operating mode, the appearance of heating devices near the equipment, inconveniently located blinds;
- check the sealing of the system and the amount of refrigerant;
- inspect the compressor, as it may break down due to being turned on for heating in the winter season without a winter kit.
All breakdowns, except for the last two, can be repaired by yourself.
To repair or replace a compressor, they contact the service center of the company from which the equipment was purchased. Sometimes a technician needs to be called to repair the electronic control board, since this is a more delicate job than washing the filter or replacing it.
Frequent problems and their solutions
Drafts
Strong blowing directed towards people increases the risk of colds. The reason is the wrong position of the air conditioner curtains. They are set in a horizontal position and the problem goes away. There is a self-oscillating blind function. The instructions describe how to use the control panel to set it up in this model of air conditioner.
A more difficult way out of the situation is to install a protective screen, which is ordered on the Internet or bought in construction supermarkets in the HVAC department. It takes 15 minutes to install the screen yourself if you have the tools.
Condensate
Dripping from the indoor unit is one of the most common complaints in service centers.The cause of the breakdown is the clogged drainage tubes. In this case, you can repair the air conditioner yourself. Usually, the drain pipe is clogged with an ice plug when the equipment is turned on in cooling mode, when it is freezing outside.
Repairing the air conditioner pipes may not be necessary if you wait until the outside temperature is above zero. The ice will melt by itself, the equipment can be used again.
Under no circumstances should you run the air conditioner for cooling if you suspect an ice plug. This will lead to a major overhaul of the pipes.
Filters
Poor cooling, water droplets on the housing are signs of clogged filters. Thorough and regular cleaning - all the necessary manipulations.
Compressor problems
Problems with the lack of freon and compressor are associated. If water enters the system, the compressor parts are corroded. In addition, it overheats, which will be indicated by the black color of the oil. A test for acidity of the oil will make it possible to clarify that metal salts are present in the circuit.
Due to malfunctions in the electronics system, the compressor also suffers, therefore, the refrigeration circuit, electronic systems are diagnosed first, and then the heart of the air conditioner.
Do-it-yourself air conditioner repair is impossible with the following breakdowns:
- Freon leakage, which is determined by freezing of the choke connections of the outdoor unit. The master has specific equipment that is not available for most users of household split systems. If the four-way valve is damaged due to overheating, it is replaced.
- Defect in the installation of copper pipes - for example - creases. The highway is being reinstalled, which an ordinary person cannot do without tools. Lack of evacuation is a serious disadvantage of installers. Flushing the system with freon does not remove water vapor that can corrode compressor parts.
- Incorrect wiring between the outdoor and indoor units.
- Incorrect connection of the wires leads to malfunctions in the electronic board, which sometimes requires its replacement due to the fault of the installers.
It is not recommended to troubleshoot the electrical part of the air conditioner without knowledge of the matter. This is fraught with negative consequences.
Compressor replacement takes place in two ways:
- Without flushing the outdoor unit. If the oil when drained has a light shade, according to the analysis, the acidity is not increased, it does not contain foreign particles. The compressor is changed, the system is evacuated and tested.
- Flushing of the external unit is necessary when the analysis of the oil showed increased acidity, the presence of dirt in the circuit and metal particles that got there after a poor-quality cut of the pipe.
The procedure is complicated, do-it-yourself repair of the split system is impossible in this case. It is made by craftsmen with special devices that remove extraneous inclusions from all hard-to-reach places of the freon line so that the problem does not recur.
Control board
Repairing the air conditioner board is a task for a specialist. Boards from different manufacturers differ from each other. In addition, even the power supply to the boards is carried out in different ways. Some are equipped with three-core wiring, others with single-core. Some malfunctions are signaled by a self-diagnostic system, but in most cases, special devices are required, for example, an oscilloscope. The control system is protected by a diode bridge, varistor and zener diode. Breakdowns are likely due to network congestion.
Do-it-yourself troubleshooting
The following repairs are carried out independently:
- Elimination of simple control and equipment errors - batteries, mode.
- Cleaning the filters with detergents or vacuum cleaner.
The rest of the work - oil change, compressor repair, line re-laying, adjustment of electrical wires are carried out by professional craftsmen.If noise is heard when the equipment is turned on and the device does not start working fully after 3 - 5 minutes, it is turned off and the repairmen are called in.
