We are accustomed to comfortable conditions and now we can not imagine our life without various devices that facilitate it. In winter, we are heated by electric and gas heaters. Summer heat helps survive the air conditioners. It happens that, despite the visibility of the work, this useful device does not perform its function of cooling the air. What if this happens?
Go to the workshop right away?
So what if the air conditioner does not cool? You can answer this question in the same manner as one doctor, when a guest who came to a party asked him for advice: “Contact a specialist!” But it happens that the master is not needed, it is enough to perform some simple operation, after which everything will be in order. In order to distinguish such a situation from another, when you can’t do without a visit to a service center or a specialized service station (if this car air conditioner does not cool the air), you should at least get acquainted with the principle of operation of this necessary household appliance.
The principle of operation of the cooler
All air conditioners work on the same principle. Moreover, they are direct relatives of an even more common device in the home , a refrigerator. And they function quite simply. The reasons why the air conditioner does not cool may be the same as the reason the refrigerator does not want to freeze.
All railway guides know a little secret, which makes it possible to provide cold drinks to passengers who wish even without hot appliances even on the hottest afternoon. It is enough to wrap a bottle or a jar in a damp towel and put this combination out of the window. A fast-moving car is in a stream of air, and water evaporates quickly. In this case, thermal energy is removed from glass or aluminum containers. The reverse process is condensation, with it heat is consumed. All refrigeration technology works on this principle, from small bar refrigerators to huge port facilities bearing the same name.
What air conditioning consists of
In order for the air conditioner to work, it must have five operational nodes: an evaporator, a condenser, a compressor, a fan, and a choke. As is clear from the previous section, heat is taken from the room air in the evaporator. But this is not enough, energy must be removed, otherwise, according to the law of its conservation, it will remain in isothermally isolated space. The same refrigerator, if its door is simply opened in a closed room, working, does not cool it, but, on the contrary, slightly increases the temperature (due to heating of the electric motor).
Heat is released into the environment in the area of ​​the condenser, into which the refrigerant (inert gas) pumps the compressor, compressing it and turning it into a liquid, that is, condensing. The fan speeds up the heat transfer process. The throttle (this is such a valve) serves as a regulator of the cooling intensity; it is often coupled with an automated control circuit receiving information from the sensor. In it, the set and actual temperatures are compared and a control action is developed, which is expressed by opening or closing the throttle. That's all.
The most common failure
The most common reason that the air conditioner cools poorly (or generally drives warm air, suddenly becoming an ordinary fan) is a refrigerant leak. It is expressed in violation of the integrity of the closed loop, through which an inert gas circulates, becoming a liquid in the capacitor. Actually, nothing is perfect in nature, and sooner or later this happens. In this situation, it is almost impossible to cope with the task yourself. To fill freon you need: special equipment, a gas cylinder, as well as skills to fill the system with it. In addition, most likely, it will be necessary to determine the place of the leak (somewhere the refrigerant has disappeared), otherwise the procedure will soon have to be repeated.
Other reasons for inefficient operation
The air filter is very important in the operation of the microclimate system. If it clogs, then not only does the air conditioner not cool, there is a danger of contracting some dangerous virus. A lot of bacilli accumulate in the filter, they fall into the air that the inhabitants of the room breathe. You can change this consumable part yourself.
Still there is a water hammer, incapacitating the system. This happens when you try to turn on the device at a very low temperature (which is generally pointless). In this case, it is not gas that gets into the compressor, as expected, but liquid that has not had time to evaporate. If this happens, you need to contact the service center.
In very hot weather, some motorists complain that the air conditioning in the car does not cool the air. In this case, you should not rush to the service station, and you should follow simple rules.
Firstly, it is best to leave your “iron horse” in the shade or to cover the windshield with foil curtains. If the air in the cabin is still too hot, you do not need to turn on the air conditioner immediately. He does not warm, perhaps because he just needs time to get into working condition. A dozen kilometers “with the breeze” will cool off the excessive fervor, and it will again please with freshness.
Secondly, the air conditioner does not need to be “cut to the full extent” right away, it is better to start from the smallest position of the regulator to allow the device to gradually “disperse”.
Thirdly, it is more correct to turn off the microclimate installation when the engine is running, so as not to overload the vehicle’s power supply circuit with transients.
And fourthly, in case of any doubts, still turn to a specialist.