Only the proper operation of the air conditioner can guarantee the largest service life. Not only should it be cleaned in time, but also the level of freon should be monitored and the filling should be carried out on time. In this article, you will learn how to recharge the portable air conditioner.
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First of all, it is necessary to understand the concept of a portable air conditioner, and how it differs from split-systems.
It is a device for ventilating air flows in a compact room. It is installed in rooms where the split-system installation is not possible.
Its work has many features:
- Convenience in transportation.
- High power ensures good work results.
- Performs the work in several modes.
- Can not only ventilate and change the temperature of airflows but also clean them from harmful impurities and germs.
By its design, portable AC can be single-component monoblocks or split-systems of the mobile type. Both monoblocks and split-systems need timely filling of the mobile air conditioner.
The most popular type of portable air conditioner is a single unit. It includes the main body and an air vent pipe. The peculiarity of the device operation is that air flows from the room and processed air exit to the street through a duct pipe.
Portable AC is usually purchased in rooms where it is impossible to install a split-system if you change the place of the house frequently.
Its main advantages (compactness, mobility, ease of use) make this type of device so popular. The device is in the middle price category, so it is available for most consumers.
The design of the device involves ease of installation and installation. System maintenance also does not need certain knowledge and skills. Each consumer is able to recharge a portable air conditioner in case of refrigerant leakage.
For correct operation of the device, the basic rules of its installation must be observed:
- The air vent pipe should be installed in a window opening or a special opening in the wall.
- A portable air conditioner should be installed at a close distance from the duct opening.
- Make sure that there are no obstructions in the airflow path of the unit.
- For durable operation, it is necessary to work according to the instructions.
- You can start working on the unit after 2 hours from the moment of installation.
The main cause of failure of portable air conditioners is late or no recharging at all. The fact is that the refrigerant of the instrument is freon gas, which is subject to evaporation.
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Thus, the refrigerant usually loses 10% of its mass within a year. Also in the process of operation, there is a natural leakage of freon. Thus each consumer should be able to charge the air conditioner himself and periodically carry out this procedure.
Signs of a refrigerant shortage:
- Slow running speed
- Poor quality of work
- The presence of extraneous noise
- Increase in electricity consumption
- The appearance of frosting on the device case
- The icing of duct pipe
The appearance of one or more signs at work indicates the need for a recharging procedure.
Recharging of portable air conditioner
Before recharging your AC with freon, you should know the main features of recharging your air conditioner.
The device implies the use of component parts in a single housing. Manufacturers provide for complete system tightness. So the body of the device is subjected to soldering procedure.
The manufacturer fills the device with freon, after that no recharging is provided. But any air conditioner is subject to the refrigerant leakage, that is why it needs to be filled with freon. The filling is carried out by means of a special shredder valve mounted in the device, through which freon is fed.
The peculiarities of the Shredder valve manufacturing imply only the procedure of full charging of the device. Thus, partial charging is not suitable in this case.
Portable air conditioners use freon type R22 and R407C – in more modern devices. R407C is a three-component gas with complex composition. At leakage only part of its components is lost, that’s why it is impossible to carry out recharging of this type of the refrigerant. It is necessary to have a full charging procedure.
The procedure of recharging of portable air conditioner can be performed independently. For this purpose, it is recommended to follow basic rules. It is necessary to read the instruction for the charging of mobile air conditioners.
Step-by-step instructions for recharging portable air conditioners:
- Before refueling, the device must be cleaned. Use a vacuum cleaner to remove any dirt that has accumulated in the housing.
- Flush the device with detergent. Dry it out. Apply an antibacterial liquid to the housing. Turn the device on so that the disinfectant liquid gets inside.
- Disconnect the appliance from the mains.
- Solder the filling cord into the appliance.
- Calculate the quantity of refrigerant to be filled. As the air conditioner requires full recharging, you can find out how much refrigerant is needed in the technical documentation.
- Connect an empty cylinder to the air conditioner. To pump out the accumulation of excessive freon.
- Connect a refrigerant cylinder to the unit. To fill the conditioner with freon.
- Disconnect the filling cord.
- Seal the appliance.
After the procedure, it is necessary to check the quality of the performed work. For this purpose, it is necessary to switch on the device. Set the mode “cooling” with the smallest parameters and follow the work of the device.
If the room temperature corresponds to the declared temperature, cooling will occur quickly. There will be no extraneous noise from the device. It means that the recharging procedure was carried out correctly and in compliance with the basic standards.
Watch this short but interesting video to find out how to recharge the portable AC:
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Selecting freon
Before charging the air conditioner, the user should decide on the type of refrigerant to be used. First of all, it is necessary to read the instructions for the device. It indicates which type of refrigerant is recommended for use and whether the device can be charged with another type of refrigerant.
Freon is an inert chemical substance. It has no characteristic color or odor. It can be used in both liquid and gaseous states. The use of Freon is not harmful to human health.
The most frequently occurring type of R22 refrigerant. Freon of this type was one of the first ones used in air-conditioning systems. This type of refrigerant has an affordable price, but its destructive effect on the ozone layer has been proved. Due to its harmful properties, manufacturers do not recommend using this type.
For air conditioners, manufacturers recommend using new types of refrigerants such as R407C or R410. These types of refrigerants are safe for the environment. They have several gases in their composition.
Due to application safety, availability of useful properties, the use of such types is recommended to all consumers. But, the cost of this type of refrigerant is an order of size higher than that of the devices of the previous generation.
This type of refrigerant is also capable of absorbing moist evaporations very strongly. This leads to extra dehumidification of the air in the room and increases the load on the device.
It should be remembered that the untimely recharging of the device will lead to the next failure of the compressor – the main part of the device. In this case, an expensive replacement will be required. That is why it is reasonable to carry out regular diagnostics and timely replenishment of the refrigerant level.