What is aircon compressor and how it function?
The compressor is very important part of air conditioner which pumps Freon through air conditioning unit. Still, a huge number of people don’t know what is it and how it works. Below you’ll find all about this essential part of air-conditioning units.
What is it and why needed?
The compressor of the air conditioner compresses Freon flowing through the pipes of the refrigerating circuit and supports its movement. At the compressor entrance, gaseous Freon cools down from the evaporator under a low pressure of 3 to 5 atmospheres and a temperature of 10 to 20° C. The compressor squeezes Freon to a pressure of 15 – 25 atmospheres, as a result of which Freon is heated to 70-90°C, and then enters the condenser.
In the split-system air conditioners (the most common wall-mounted air conditioners), the compressor is located in the outdoor unit. This allows you to reduce the noise that the air conditioner creates in the room.
The main characteristics of the compressor are the compression degree and the amount of refrigerant that it can pump. The compression ratio – the ratio of the maximum output pressure of the refrigerant vapor to the maximum input pressure.
Compressor malfunctions and their causes
The cost of the compressor is usually equal to the cost of the whole air conditioner because it’s the most important part of it according to aircon servicing experts. As a rule, replacement of the failed compressor and repair aircon is associated with neglect of the installation rules and work of the air conditioner. We’ll tell in which cases the air conditioner compressor can still be saved.
The compressor needs to be repaired only if it doesn’t work anymore and based on some results of the preventive inspection. These are examples:
Oil analysis
The dark color of the oil and the smell of burning indicate that the air conditioning compressor is overheated. Reasons for overheating: leakage of the refrigerant from the air conditioner or the operation of it in heating mode at extremely negative temperatures.
The greenish tint of the oil indicates the presence of copper salts in it. The reason is the presence of moisture in the refrigeration circuit of the air conditioner. The test for the acidity of this oil, as a rule, is also positive.
Transparent oil with a slight odor indicates that the conditioner does not need an immediate oil change.
Filtration will not completely restore the properties of the oil that has undergone thermal decomposition. Therefore, it’s better to replace it.
Contour tightness violation
The tightness violation of the Freon loop can be caused by different reasons and does not always lead to failure. Very important are: the place of leakage, the amount of refrigerant that managed to escape, the time interval between the occurrence and the leak detection, the operating mode of the air conditioner and other factors.
Moisture in the circuit
Moisture usually gets into the Freon loop of the air conditioner, if the installation rules are violated. Vacuuming Freon line during the installation is necessary to remove air and water vapor from it.