DIY repair of aluminum tubes of a car air conditioner
In detail: do-it-yourself repair of aluminum tubes of a car air conditioner from a real master for the site my.housecope.com.
The repair of the air conditioner pipes can be carried out both for the reason that they have broken, and for the reason that they are dirty and cannot be cleaned. In winter, when the air conditioner is not working, aluminum hoses and pipes can become clogged, especially in the gaps between the engine radiator and the air conditioner radiator. Contaminants can accumulate and can contaminate the lines. And all this together can impede the correct circulation of the refrigerant and mixing of refrigerant and moisture is simply inevitable.
The tubes themselves are made of aluminum, so external factors can destructively affect this material. Temperature extremes, violation of moisture levels, the presence of reagents - all this can lead to the destruction of aluminum. And besides this, there are O-rings and rubber gaskets, which, under the influence of various factors, can deteriorate even faster.
The performance of aluminum tubes is affected by the country's climate, temperature regime, road surface or its absence, general loads on the car and getting into road accidents.
All this negatively affects the operation of the cooling unit, and as a result, the repair of the air conditioning pipes is simply inevitable.
You might mistakenly think that nothing depends on the performance of the tubes, but how long the autoconditioner tubes are repaired will depend on its durability. Tightening can provoke the compressor to depressurize and a complete replacement of the device will have to be performed. Worst of all, if in the process of wear and tear, the car owner does not notice this and the climate system becomes contaminated with particles of compression rings. In this case, not only the entire system is endangered, but also the health of the car passengers will be disrupted. Many have already felt that the cooling system can cause real health problems.
Video (click to play).
Repairing air conditioner pipes is easy if the cracks are very small, which are barely visible to the eye. In this case, you can not use argon-arc welding, but use special compounds. The so-called soldering of holes in the form of patches is performed. It is possible to apply such mixtures in several layers so that their thickness is 2-3 millimeters. Thus, we achieve a quality car air conditioner repair.
Welding the tubes of the air conditioner will be required if the size of the cracks exceeds the norm of 2-3 millimeters. In this case, we will acquire argon-arc welding and go ahead to work.
Soldering the tube of the auto air conditioner
Car air conditioner tube after soldering
If you want to save a lot on repairing the air conditioner pipes, you will have to do it yourself. I want to note that this still requires soldering experience, albeit a little. It is important to stock up on a specific tool: a pipe cutter, a special bending machine and welding. Please note that the pipe cutter can also be replaced with a metal file, but this will not be the quality that we expect in the repair of air conditioner pipes.
The pipe bender can be either universal (for different diameters) or specific (for a specific diameter). When choosing this tool, it is worth knowing what dimensions are used in your machine. Often it is 6, 8, 10 sizes, which corresponds to the inner diameter in millimeters. You can see the size on the vehicle system or in the technical documentation.This is a fundamentally important repair issue because different machines use different measuring systems.
Repair of auto-air conditioner pipes begins with the fact that you need to buy or make parts. Next, we cut off the required length and bend them using a bending machine. When the tubes are ready, we cut the fittings and connect it all into a single system. Before soldering, it is worth rewinding the parts with electrical tape and see if you did everything right. If everything fits, then we start soldering.
When repairing the tubes of an auto-air conditioner, it is not always possible to resort to the above method. Sometimes the tubes of the air conditioner are replaced with hoses that are made of rubber. Although they are made of less durable material, replacing them will be very quick, simple and cheap. Welding of the air conditioner pipes is not used here, usually the hoses are screwed in.
Welding of the tubes of the air conditioner is also used if they are made of copper. The copper type of joints is more durable than aluminum, but it is expensive. In this case, it is necessary to perform flaring work. And this is a job for professionals with a high-quality specific tool (it is present only at good service stations). Sometimes for such parts, insulation is performed, which saves from freezing in winter and performs thermal insulation of the system.
At the end of the article, I would like to note that you need to closely monitor the cooling system: listen to the sounds in the operation of devices, to smells and to the general characteristics of performance. All this can tell you in time about problems that are easy to fix in the first stages. Take good care of your car and it will serve you for many years!
On the recording, an auto expert shows how to properly solder a copper pipe of an automobile air conditioner.
The air conditioning system consists of many elements that can wear out over time and lose their primary functions. One of these is the pipes through which cold air and gas is transmitted, which are necessary for the normal operation of the condender. In what cases are car air conditioner pipes repaired and how to do this task with your own hands - find out from this article.
The need to repair the air conditioner tubes may arise as a result of their breakage or contamination. Moreover, the contamination can be so serious that the hoses themselves are no longer subject to cleaning. In the cold season, when the condender practically does not turn on, the system lines can become clogged, especially dirt collects in the area between the radiator devices of the motor and the air conditioner. Accordingly, contamination of the air conditioning pipes of the car can interfere with the optimal circulation of the consumable, which will subsequently lead to the mixing of freon and moisture.
Air conditioning lines are usually made of aluminum, respectively, various external factors can negatively affect this material. Due to temperature extremes, a violation of the moisture level, as well as the presence of various reagents, aluminum can simply collapse. In addition, the pipes of the system are also equipped with gaskets and seals, which, in turn, also break down, only even stronger and faster. The service life of the tubes depends on many factors - the conditions for using the car, the climate of the region, temperature, loads on the car as a whole..
So, for what reasons the tubes fail:
due to temperature extremes;
as a result of exposure to road reagents;
due to clogging;
due to changes in humidity;
as a result of severe frosts;
when the car gets into an accident.
If hoses are being repaired for car air conditioners, then, as a rule, cracks can be patched using argon arc welding. In particular, if the cracks are large enough.As for the smaller damages, you can get rid of them without a welding machine. To remove such damage, you can use special compounds, which must be sprayed onto the surface of the tube in several layers. It is desirable that when welding the tubes of the conditioner, the total thickness of the patches is about 2-3 mm.
It should also be borne in mind that usually the process of producing new pipes for the condenser is much cheaper for the car owner than purchasing them. For manufacturing, it is important to correctly calculate all dimensions and prepare the necessary tool. So that the production process does not cause difficulties, it is necessary to prepare in advance a high-quality pipe cutter, as well as a pipe bender. The first will allow you to cut the edges of the pipe with the highest quality, and the second can be used, if necessary, to bend the pipe at an angle (video author - Denis Chesnokov).
If you decide to repair the hoses, then first of all you need to decide - you will buy parts or make them yourself. During production, you need to be careful and correctly measure in accordance with the technical documentation for the machine. In practice, our compatriots quite often confuse meters with inches, as a result of which the repair procedure can be difficult.
A few points to consider when carrying out repairs:
In any case, if you want the air conditioning system to work for a long time and without complaints, its condition should be monitored, especially during the off-season. You should always pay attention to the sounds that appear during the operation of the air conditioner, as well as smells that may come from the blowers. Of course, you also need to pay attention to the efficiency of the system - if you notice that the condender has become less efficient, this may indicate various malfunctions. Moreover, as practice shows, most often it is better to eliminate them at the initial stages.
The video below shows the process of repairing the hoses of an automobile air conditioner (video author - Tim Service channel).
The connection of the units of any air conditioner is carried out by pipes and high pressure hoses.
Any destruction of the pipeline causes the leakage of freon and breakdown of the "heart" of the air conditioner - the compressor.
Repairing a high-pressure pipe of an air conditioner is not a difficult process, but it can only be done using special equipment.
Welding of cracks and loose seams is possible only in argon and is carried out by argon-arc welding.
Diagnostics is carried out when the air conditioner fails.
It is practically impossible to independently determine the state of the pipeline. Freon leakage can occur through microcracks formed in high-pressure pipes or hoses. They are not noticeable to the eye, and freon is colorless. You will not see it without special detection devices. Specialized service stations have equipment that allows you to accurately determine the place of refrigerant leakage.
Sequence
diagnostics:
visual inspection;
measurement of freon pressure in the system;
determination of the place of destruction of the tube by a leak detector;
ultraviolet diagnostics.
As you can see, the diagnostic process requires special equipment. There is no way to independently detect the place of leakage of freon from a tube or hose. Such equipment for pipeline diagnostics is available at our service.
Repairing aluminum tubes for an air conditioner on a car is a problem that every car enthusiast has to face. Some people try to do it on their own. True, in most cases, they still have to seek help at the service station and fix what was done with their own hands. The process of restoring aluminum pipes is carried out in two ways - by welding cracks and spraying several layers of a special composite on microcracks.
In argon arc welding, the entire
the welded surface of the tube section is in an inert gas medium - argon. It is not possible to weld aluminum without it. The work is carried out with a special welding machine designed for welding non-ferrous metals.
If the crack is small, barely visible to the eye, it is sealed. A special composite is applied in layers to the crack. When the total layer thickness reaches 3 mm, the work is completed.
Depending on the damage during the diagnosis, a decision is made on how to eliminate it. A situation may arise when replacement becomes more expedient and cheaper for the client than welding or soldering the tubes of the car air conditioner.
Defective rubber hoses must be replaced. On the Internet you can find advice from "craftsmen" on the issue of repairing a hose with your own hands, but you should not do this, since rubber is rubber. In a week or two, its rupture will come out again, since the internal pressure of freon in the system is quite significant.
The air conditioner piping is rigidly fastened. It would seem that pipes and hoses (for example, an aluminum tube for car air conditioners) should last forever. Unfortunately, this is far from the case. There are several reasons for this:
piping adjacent to the outlet the collector cracks and burns out over time;
pollution and temperature drops;
the influence of road reagents;
significant fluctuations in humidity;
constant vibration from a running engine.
These and other factors have a damaging effect on aluminum tubes and rubber hoses. Therefore, sooner or later a moment comes when they do not withstand the load and become unusable.
Pipeline maintenance
car air conditioning will not cause difficulties even for a novice car enthusiast.
Cleanliness, periodic inspection is all you need to do to extend the life of your tubing and hoses by several years. The only thing that must be strictly observed is to use neutral materials when servicing. You can do this using water, a wooden scraper, and a hairbrush. The use of solvents and detergents is not advisable.
At our service, you can carry out high-quality repairs of high-pressure pipes and hoses for air conditioners of any brand. The service is equipped with the most modern equipment, including for the restoration of pipelines. Highly qualified welders and mechanics perform the work quickly and with high quality. Numerous thanks and positive reviews confirm this.
We give a one-year guarantee for all our work, and a flexible system of discounts and reasonable prices delight our customers.
Repairing air conditioner pipes in a car is an inevitable problem that sooner or later every motorist faces. In the event of a crack or defect in the tube, freon will leave the system, which will lead to the failure of the car's air conditioner. Armed with the necessary tools, materials, patience and time, you can do the repairs yourself.
Many passenger car models are designed so that the piping to the A / C compressor runs next to the exhaust manifold. Due to the constantly high temperature, these elements gradually burn out, cracking and drying out.
The winter period is characterized by blockages in pipes and hoses, as a result of which the space between the radiator, cooling the engine, and the car air conditioning system is filled with dirt. In addition, factors such as the impact of road reagents, temperature changes, and an increase and decrease in humidity have a significant effect on aluminum tubes.