Summer is the most comfortable time of the year for most people. However, at this time there are inconveniences for human life, associated with rising temperatures and, consequently, dehumidification not only on the street, but also indoors. These inconveniences push us to install additional equipment that can solve the problem. One of the mechanisms, allowing to maintain the set temperature of air indoors, there is air conditioning.
Pros and cons of installing air conditioning with your own hands
Despite the presence on the modern market of a wide variety of air conditioning devices, their cost is sometimes quite high. He, who seeks to reduce the amount spent, can do this by installing the air conditioner with your own hands. Remember, that even with a full study of the theoretical aspects of installation, in fact, various difficulties may arise. And most importantly, that self-installation of the conditioner can become the basis, under which its manufacturer and seller will legally waive their warranty obligations.
If you still decide to install a wall-mounted air conditioner with your own hands, You will need tools:
- perforator for drilling a hole in the wall with a diameter 50 mm;
- ordinary perforator of average power;
- screwdriver;
- vacuum pump;
- manometric collector;
- pipe bender;
- pipe cutter;
- rolling;
- rimer (Bevel removers);
- set of hand tools (hammer, screwdrivers, pliers, keys, etc.).
Consumables:
- copper pipe of the required diameter (3/16, 1/4, 5/16, 1/2, 5/8, 3/4, 7/8 - the more powerful the air conditioner, the larger the diameter of the copper pipes);
- pipe insulation;
- plastic drainage pipe;
- power line with five wires;
- brackets for attaching the outdoor unit to the wall;
- reinforcing tape, teflon tape;
- self-tapping screws and bolts.
The most convenient time to install air conditioning in the room is the repair period. Firstly, because how not to turn the dust while working will be a lot, but in a different way, in this situation it is possible to make a strobe in the wall for that, to lay in it interblock communications, so as not to use a plastic box in the future, which most often spoils the interior of the room.
Site selection and basic requirements for the installation of indoor and outdoor air conditioning units
Before installation it is necessary to choose a place for installation of internal and external blocks of the conditioner. The indoor unit is located in the room according to the rules:
- Do not place the unit in front of a bed or other permanent location.
- Do not place the unit above a heat source or other electrical appliance.
- The free space from the edges of the block should be at least 150 mm.
- There should be no furniture or other obstructions in the airflow area.
When mounting the outdoor unit must be guided by the convenience of work. If it happens on the ground floor of the building, then it is desirable to fasten the outdoor unit at a height not lower 3 meters. For safety reasons, care should be taken to arrange a metal grille around the unit. If the installation takes place on a higher floor, then more often the block fastens under a window or on its side so, that in the future it was possible to connect interblock communications without special difficulties. A safer place to install is a balcony or loggia.
installation of air conditioning
When the places for mounting the blocks are determined, you need to choose the place of drilling a hole in the wall, through which the interblock communication and the drainage pipe will pass. The hole is drilled with a diameter of at least 50 mm with a slope 5-10 degrees towards the outdoor unit.
Hole in the wall for laying interblock connections.
Slope required, that the condensate from the indoor unit flowed, did not linger in the drainage pipe. When drilling a hole, you must take into account the possibility of being in the wall wiring and metal rods, if the wall is monolithic.
Drilling a hole in the wall, it is necessary to pass to fastening of a plate for hanging of the internal block. Its fastening is carried out on 5-6 self-tapping screws under the small (visually invisible) slope towards the outlet of the drainage pipe.
Plate for mounting the indoor unit of the air conditioner.
The brackets of the outdoor unit are installed level and in accordance with the distance between the holes on the supports of the outdoor unit. It is often enough to attach each bracket to 2 screw size 10x150 mm.
Installation of brackets of the external block of the conditioner.
In parallel with the installation of fasteners for blocks to come to terms with the length of inter-block communications (pipes for refrigerant, drainage pipe and cable). Communications are connected to the indoor unit and charged together.
Installation of the internal block of the conditioner.
At the end of the tubes put on the connecting nuts (flanges), after which the pipe is flared bending. To avoid leakage of freon flared, the inner surface of the pipe must be perfectly mirrored.
Flanges of connecting tubes.
The flanges of the flared pipe are connected to the pipes on the indoor unit. The power cord is connected to the terminals on the indoor unit, it is necessary to remember or write down the order of connection of wires, to repeat it when connected to an external. The drainage pipe is connected to the drain pipe, available on the indoor unit.
The entire length of the refrigerant pipe must be protected with insulation, then fold all communications into a single "route" and wrap with reinforcing tape.
Installation of the conditioner - laying of connecting tubes.
Part of communications, passing down the street, must be wrapped with white Teflon tape. Then the "route" is made through a through hole in the wall to the outdoor unit, and the indoor unit is hung on a plate in the allotted place. Externally, the pipes are fed to the approximate location of the taps on the unit. Bending of tubes if necessary is carried out by means of a pipe bender, the excess part of the tubes is cut off with a pipe cutter.
When the route is completed, the outdoor unit is exposed.
Installation of the external block of the conditioner.
Both supports of the block are fastened by two bolts to arms. The ends of the pipes are flared and connected to the corresponding taps of the unit.
Places of connection of tubes to the cooler.
The power cord is connected to the appropriate terminals, and the drainage pipe is lowered, it can be attached to one of the supports of the unit.
After the work is done, the system is evacuated. Using a vacuum manifold and a compressor it is necessary to carry out the vacuuming of the line for approx 1 years. This operation allows you to remove air from the system, and with it moisture and dust, which may be there. After that it is necessary to open service taps of the conditioner by means of hexagonal keys, located on the side of the outdoor unit, thereby launching freon into the highway.
At this point, the installation of air conditioning can be considered complete. If inter-block communications and power cord, departing from the indoor unit, which were not hidden in the wall, you can hide them with decorative boxes.
The air conditioner is installed with your own hands.
It remains to start the air conditioner and check its operation:
- Enable cooling mode, selecting the lowest temperature and wait a few minutes for the compressor to start, after which you should feel the flow of cool air.
- Turn on the heating mode (almost all modern air conditioners have this mode of operation). Warm air will not go away right away, it is necessary to wait while the compressor switches and the evaporator warms up.