Modern household split systems are quite complex devices, the functioning of which depends on several nodes. The failure of any of them leads, if not to a complete failure of climate control equipment, then to the impossibility of performing part of the main functions.
Some malfunctions of air conditioners, the elimination of which does not require special training, can be eliminated on your own, more complex repairs will be carried out at a service center.
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Typical signs of air conditioner malfunctions
There are few main signs of failure of any of the air conditioner units. If any of them appear, you should immediately disconnect the equipment from the mains and try to find out the cause of the failure (or call the service center specialists):
There are still many options that can be included in the list, and each of them has its own reasons for such a reaction (more precisely, its absence) from the equipment:
- Air conditioner does not turn on
The term "not included" is usually understood in a broad sense.
The majority of users refer to this variant of problems as the absence of:
- reactions to pressing the buttons of the remote or wired remote control;
- indications on the front panel of the indoor unit;
- air intake from the room and its return after cooling / heating;
- characteristic noise fans and compressor;
- moving blinds;
- rotation of the fan blades, which can be observed through the grille on the case of the outdoor unit and (if desired) on the indoor unit.
- The air conditioner does not cool/heat the air
Such a situation is usually described unambiguously. When the air conditioner is turned on, the operation of the units does not differ from the usual one - the fans and the compressor start, they are set to a predetermined position or the blinds swing, the air flow is pumped. However, the outlet air temperature remains the same as in the room or differs very slightly from it. It is this manifestation of malfunctions that users of household split systems encounter most often.
- Broken time cycle of the split system
In this case, the air conditioner either turns on with a delay of several seconds to minutes, or after switching to the active cooling / heating phase, turns off the compressor and fans after a few seconds / tens of seconds. At the same time, there is not enough time in this phase to dial the desired room temperature parameters.
- Condensate leak from the indoor unit.
- Freezing of structural elements, etc.
Without detailed diagnostics, it is almost impossible to determine the malfunction that caused this behavior of the equipment. Partially it can be carried out independently, but it is better to entrust this task to specialists of service companies. They have at their disposal the appropriate equipment and instrumentation, more detailed documentation for each model of climate technology.
The air conditioner diagnostic system will help the user to understand the problem on their own.Today it works on almost all, even the most budget models. The electronic unit polls the sensors installed in the system and, based on their performance, in case of malfunctions, issues error codes on the service display or in the form of a combination of LED indicators.
As a rule, they can be found in the documentation for the split system, as well as the possible causes of their occurrence, and troubleshooting methods. It should be noted that in most cases, repairs will require the intervention of a qualified specialist.
Equipped with new IoT-enabled electronics or Bluetooth controllers, systems can report errors directly to the user application.
Diagnostics and troubleshooting of air conditioners
Diagnosing malfunctions in the operation of the air conditioner, if they are not issued during self-diagnosis, is not an easy task, requiring an understanding of the parts and assemblies in the equipment.
The device of a split system, for all its apparent complexity, is easy to understand even without special training. It includes:
- An evaporator with a heat exchanger (radiator) in the indoor unit, designed to extract heat from the indoor air of the served room.
- A condenser with a radiator in the outdoor unit that removes heat to the surrounding area.
- Fans that create airflow through radiators.
- A compressor that provides the pressure necessary for the circulation of freon.
- An electronic control unit that receives reference and sensor signals and issues control commands to all nodes of the split system.
Cooling circuit
Perhaps the only emergency situation in the cooling circuit should be considered a depressurization causing a refrigerant leak.
Since all elements of the system are connected by metal pipelines, it is almost impossible to ensure complete tightness of the circuit. At the junctions, the so-called. A “regular” freon leak, due to which the air conditioner loses about 8% of the refrigerant during the year. This situation is not a problem and only requires periodic refueling of the system with freon during regular maintenance.
In case of poor-quality installation, destruction of sealing and mounting parts (for example, if a crack appears in the nut fixing the pipe), corrosion of the lines, additional leaks appear. The freon consumption exceeds the nominal values, the air conditioner loses its performance and the rate of temperature increase, parts freeze, etc.
It is difficult for the end user to unequivocally diagnose a refrigerant leak:
- He does not have the necessary equipment to assess the amount of freon remaining in the system. The indicators by which he can judge the state of the circuit are the temperature of pipelines and radiators, the pressure in the system. However, these measurements also require special instruments - at least, thermometers and a manometric unit (collector) attached to the surface and skills in handling them.
- In some cases, the location of the leak can be judged by oil drips and dust buildup, but this method cannot be considered reliable and works in all cases.
- Even if the loss of tightness is not in doubt, there is a problem with finding a specific leak.
Various methods are used for this:
- Immersion in water;
- Use of soap solution;
- The use of ultraviolet dyes and lamps;
- Work with leak detectors of various designs.
Eliminate the refrigerant leak in the following order:
Disconnect the split system from the network.- Conduct a visual inspection of the highways, paying special attention to the joints, the quality of the rolling and the integrity of the reinforcement.
- If necessary, search for places of depressurization (it may be necessary to remove freon from the system, pump it with nitrogen).
- Leaks are eliminated by replacing parts, soldering problem areas, cutting pipes at joints with re-rolling. Work is carried out on a system without refrigerant.
- Carry out pressure testing of the circuit.
- Perform vacuuming.
- Fill the system with freon.
If you have the necessary equipment, you can do all the work yourself. However, in the service center, repairs will be performed better and faster.
All necessary materials can be purchased at the same service center. They also provide equipment (vacuum stations, manometric manifolds, etc.) for rent.
Fans
The main malfunctions of fans of outdoor and indoor units of split systems include:
- Breakage of the blades (more common on external blocks where freezing is observed, large debris may enter).
- Breakage of the conductors of the motor windings (interturn short circuit or to the device case) or their breakage.
- Shaft deformation and jamming.
- In three-phase systems - incorrect phase sequence or connection of a smaller number of phases.
- In fans with AC motors - failure of the capacitor on the windings.
In the internal, as a rule, centrifugal designs are used, in many of which the impeller is combined with the motor rotor. In this case, the only option for repair will be replacement.
To diagnose other problems, you should:
- Disconnect the system.
- Disconnect the wires going to the electronic unit.
- Carry out measurements of winding resistances (the manufacturer indicates the operating values in the technical documentation).
- Check the winding capacitor.
- If no problems are identified, connect the conductors, turn on the system, measure voltages and currents (observance of electrical safety rules is required, an appropriate permit is required).
According to the measurement results, a conclusion is made about the fan's performance and the need to replace it (it is not necessary to restore the equipment in artisanal conditions).
By replacing the entire assembly, other problems are also eliminated - a jammed shaft, worn bearings, etc.
Compressor
Symptoms of a compressor failure may include:
- delays in turning on the air conditioner;
- violations of the work cycle;
- the presence of a characteristic buzz (while the air conditioner does not turn on).
The reasons may be breakdown and breakage of conductors, failure of capacitors in AC devices, failure of valves (TRV or four-way), filling the crankcase with freon, etc.
problem diagnosis and repair on your own not recommended, even when there is full confidence in the need to replace parts and assemblies. After replacing them, most likely, it will be necessary to adjust the sensors, which is difficult to perform without full access to the capabilities, primarily the electronic unit.
Electronic control unit
In modern systems, it is the complex control electronics that becomes the most common cause of failures in climate technology. Such situations are possible due to overvoltages and voltage drops in the supply network, exposure to lightning discharges, gross violation of the requirements of technical documentation (for example, connecting electrical equipment without a ground wire), etc.
Only specialists with the appropriate level of training and approvals can accurately determine the presence of problems in the operation of the electronic unit, their nature and carry out repairs. Solve the problem by contacting the service center.
The most important rule that owners of split systems need to know is that regular maintenance and air conditioner cleaning! Most system problems are not the result of malfunctions, but the result of contamination and are eliminated by simple cleaning. In addition, periodic maintenance is the best way to prevent accidents.
Questions and answers
The manufacturer, as a rule, provides the codes of the main faults issued by the self-diagnosis system in the operating instructions. More complete lists, including those with control unit messages, are contained in the detailed technical documentation. It is available in service centers, for most models it is also published online in the public domain.
It is problematic to do this, in addition, if a malfunction is detected, replacement will still require access to the unit. It is better to immediately turn to specialists who have at their disposal the appropriate equipment, including lifting.
In inverter systems of this type, fans are installed with DC motors, which do not require a capacitor to start and run. Accordingly, it does not need to be checked and changed.
It is often advised to use an additional heater for the crankcase if there is no such regular heater in the system. However, this is only a partial solution to the problem, more often it will be necessary to check the tightness of the circuit and top up with refrigerant.
Such "symptoms" are more typical for problems with the controller firmware after an overvoltage or thunderstorm. Most likely, it is enough to get by with flashing the electronics, which is done quickly and inexpensively in the service.
Video tips for diagnosing an air conditioner
