DIY air conditioner board repair

We are all happy when buying a new thing, especially new equipment. The availability of household appliances determines how comfortable we will feel in our own home. But when purchasing equipment, we do not know how long it will last. The service life does not always depend on the original characteristics of the device and on the quality of its assembly at the factory. The duration of the productive use of equipment is largely influenced by external factors during its operation, how well it is handled and looked after. The new climate regulator is a joy in the house, but in order to fully enjoy its work, you also need to know how to properly repair the air conditioner with your own hands. The services of professionals, unfortunately, are not cheap.

Is it possible to repair such complex equipment as an air conditioner on your own without the presence of specialists? This question is of interest to many. Let's try to give a detailed answer to it. But first, you need to find out what types of problems are with climate systems.

Here are the most common problems that arise during the operation of air conditioning equipment, and as a result of which it may be necessary to repair the air conditioner in the apartment:

• Decreased production of heat or cold;
• Condensate leakage due to clogged drainage;
• The equipment does not turn on and does not react in any way to commands from the control panel;
• The appearance of an unpleasant odor from a working device.

In the first case, it turns out that the air conditioner consumes electricity in vain, giving nothing in return. He does not cope with his main task. What can cause a decrease in device performance, and how can this be eliminated?

There can be many reasons, the main ones are:

1. Leakage of freon, which is the main element of the system, allowing it to work. It can be caused by technological reasons, or it can arise by accident. It is necessary to check the device for leaks and refill it, if necessary.
2. Perhaps the main components of the heat pump parts are out of order, that is, the evaporator, compressor, fan, valves, sensors, or some of the control elements. In this case, you cannot do without replacing faulty components.
3. Various abnormalities in the electrical network, such as surges, dips and voltage drops. This must be taken into account when connecting the air conditioner to the home network and, if possible, exclude them, otherwise malfunctions in the operation of the device will become the norm.

But not only filters can get clogged, but also other internals of the air conditioner. They also need to be cleaned in time, otherwise such an unpleasant problem as leakage of drainage may arise. A lot of debris can settle in the drain pipe, as a result, the pipes become clogged, and liquid from the indoor unit can flow out directly onto the floor in the apartment. Agree, this is not very pleasant.

Leakage is eliminated by thorough cleaning of the drainage channel from foreign particles. In winter, the cause of the leak may lie in the clogging of the tube with an ice plug. In this case, the most optimal solution would be to clean the evaporator, or to refuel the air conditioner with freon.

If the equipment does not start at all and does not respond to commands given by the remote control, then, first of all, you should check the voltage in the electrical outlet. In order to measure the voltage, you must use a special device - a multimeter.

If he showed that the voltage in the network is sufficient for the correct operation of the device, then the cause of the malfunction should be looked for in something else. But for an accurate diagnosis, you first need to pull out the power outlet, completely de-energizing the device. After a minute, the air conditioner is turned on again. If nothing happens, then the batteries in the remote control may need to be replaced. It's easy to do it yourself.

In the course of its activity, the air conditioner passes through itself a huge amount of air, the quality of which is not always ideal. Therefore, often after some time, the device you bought begins to smell bad when it is turned on. The odor can be caused by bacteria that accumulate on the filter elements of the equipment. What to do in this case? Treatment of device filters with special antibacterial agents can help out here. It may also require additional treatment with a steam generator of the evaporator radiators.

In what cases is it not worthwhile to do it yourself? If the breakdown of the air conditioner:

• Not caused by one of the reasons listed above;
• The methods of emergency assistance to the device presented here did not help you;
• You suspect that the problem has occurred in one of the complex and important parts of the air conditioner, such as the compressor.

In this case, you should seek professional help. Do-it-yourself air conditioning compressor repair is successful in quite rare cases. There is a great risk that the system will never work at all and that it will need to be completely replaced, or some of its important and expensive parts or assemblies should be replaced. Remember that the duration and productivity of the climatic device directly depends on the timeliness and correctness of the service and maintenance work. You can find out about the procedures that need to be carried out after certain periods of the device's operation from the instructions attached to it.

Almost all modern models of air conditioners have indicators that can show where there is a malfunction. This can be determined by the number of flashing lights on the indicator:

• One blink - the thermistor in the indoor unit does not work;
• Two flashes - the thermistor in the external unit does not work;
• Three flashes - one of the systems - cooling or heating - is not working correctly;
• Four flashes - the compressor overload protection system is not enabled;
• Five flashes - the communication between the indoor and outdoor air conditioner unit is broken, you need to check the cable;
• Six blinks - the actuators of the external unit are faulty, or the problem is in the power transistors;
• Seven blinks - problems with the external unit and refrigerant pressure;

In order to minimize the risk of equipment breakdown, it is enough to carry out timely preventive maintenance of its operation approximately every month. Preventive measures in relation to the indoor unit include:

1. Surface cleaning by wiping with a damp cloth and detergent.
2. Washing the blinds from accumulated dust and dirt.
3. Checking the attachment.
4. Checking the pressure and an extraordinary refueling with freon, in the event of a shortage of it.
5. Checking the remote control batteries.
6. Checking the heat exchanger for frost.
7. Monitoring the air temperature at the entrance to the unit.
8. Cleaning filters.
9. Verification of operation in various modes.

Lift the front cover of the air conditioner and remove the filter. It is rinsed with a stream of cold water and detergent and allowed to dry before putting back.

Preventive measures in relation to the street block prescribe:

1. Use compressed air to vigorously clean to remove dust and wood fluff from the device.
2. Checking the wall mounts.

It is also worth recalling that in such a matter as the repair of air conditioning equipment, the instruction manual for its operation is a very important document. Without it, you cannot understand the complex structure of the system.And repairing equipment without special knowledge can be dangerous both for the equipment itself and for a person.

The summer threatening unbearable heat was imperceptibly approaching, but I remained in complete calm, contentedly looking sideways at the air conditioner hanging over my head ... Nothing foreshadowed trouble. On another hot day, I reached for the control panel, pressed the “Power” button and ... the air conditioner did not turn on.

The first shock was replaced by a thought of hope - something with the wiring. Having made sure of the presence of voltage in the network and the operability of the power supply, I sadly realized that I was deeply in trouble.

The repair instructions below are intended for the desperate minds, who are no stranger to the thrill of adventure and the accompanying spirit of adventurism.

The reader is already aware that I bought my old Toshiba from my hands, and then successfully disassembled and cleaned it. Having estimated all the delights of repairs in the service - paying for diagnostics / calling the masters at home / depressurizing the circuit - I gave up on these dubious pleasures and decided to figure out the problem myself, having enlisted the support of the "Old Brand" and weak knowledge of radio physics for the fifth grade.

Sweating (heat after all), I removed the front panel of the indoor unit (instructions for disassembly here).

On the inside, the email is well located. scheme.

First of all, I decided to check the fuses, there are two of them.

To get to the fuses, we remove the control board, and at the same time the casing with the transformer.

To check, we use a regular tester for 200 rubles. The first fuse rings, and visually everything is in order with it.

And here is the thermal fuse.

When ringing, it shows a break. Bingo!

I short-circuit the hot one, start the system - everything works! The cold is coming, the breeze is blowing. But the happiness did not last long - after 30 minutes of test operation, the condo dies again. Carefully studying the diagram, I stumble upon the thermal relay of the fan motor of the indoor unit.

I give the air conditioner two hours to rest and try again. It turns on, but after 30 minutes of work, it goes out again.

The preliminary diagnosis is motor overheating. To test the hypothesis, I decide to experiment - I remove the motor and connect everything live, right on the table.

The motor was taped to the masking tape so that it would not fly off during operation. The launch was successful, but at the fifteenth minute, the wildest heating of the stator housing began to be observed. I did not wait for the thermal relay to work and turned off the circuit.

Disassembling the motor yielded nothing.

The rotor is blown out, and the stator, together with the control board, is thoroughly filled with either resin or ceramics. After hanging out on specialized forums, I found out that my diagnosis is 99% - interturn short circuit of the stator winding. Treatment is a complete replacement of the motor.

What should I do? Printed out the performance characteristics of the motor,

and went like a buffoon to the Kaliningrad service centers in search of a similar engine, because it is no longer realistic to find or order the original for my firewood.

Kaliningrad servicemen, when they saw me, turned their fingers to their temples as one and predicted to replace the entire outdoor unit. At the same time, the estimated cost of the repair work significantly exceeded the price of the air conditioner. Finally, having worn out my shoes, in some shack I managed to get a motor for a penny.

The device turned out to be from Kentatsu, with a long pulley, a slightly different geometry and, worst of all, with increased power and capacity characteristics.

Having connected a new motor to the control board, I ran into an unpleasant problem - the shaft was spinning, but very, very slowly. On the face of the increased power of the engine, clearly not consistent with my board. In the heat of the moment I wanted to evaporate the working container,

and replace it with 1.2 mF, but, having reasoned soberly, came to the conclusion that this will not change the weather. Cut off the signal wires from the Hall sensor at random

leaving power on the motor. The engine whined like a vacuum cleaner, pumping out a monstrous speed of rotation.My joy knew no bounds, but ... after two minutes of operation, the control board went into an error, having not received a signal from the Hall sensor. Plugged the contact group into place - continuous operation, but low shaft rotation speed.

After a little thought, I decided to install the motor in the indoor unit and try to start it under load (with a fan).

To begin with, I cut the rubber pads.

Now a neat cut for the fastening bolt.

As a result, the blade was securely fixed, and the engine became like a glove in the bosom.

I decided to leave the control board outside, connecting the motor power and the Hall sensor to it.

As a result, the engine, loaded with the blade, barely spun and did not create an air flow. The turnover on the signal from the remote control did not change either. When Hall was turned off, the motor picked up high revs, but after two minutes the board gave an error.

I almost went crazy with impotent rage when I discovered another problem - at low speeds, the compressor relay of the outdoor unit starts, but the radiator blower does not work, and again the error. Having consumed half of the Old Brand bottle, I decided to disassemble the new motor.

Removing the latches, took out the rotor.

Prying the back plug with a thin screwdriver, we managed to get to the speed control board.

And here is the main suspect - the Hall sensor!

Having finished the second half of the "Old Mark", I made a difficult decision for myself to crush the body of my native engine, get the Hall out of there and solder it into a new board. The operation to open the patient took place under the dull blows of a hammer - the ceramic shell turned out to be extremely durable. It was only by a miracle that I didn’t crumble the control board and the microcircuit.

Then I soldered the element into the board,

The motor began to spin perfectly, but it still did not change the rotational speed and, most importantly, did not start the external cooling fan. There was no limit to my disappointment. I was sad, the heat in the street grew stronger.

Finally, the brain came up with an idea - what if the indoor unit is driven in fan mode, and the outdoor unit is started directly from the outlet. And do not care about the inconvenience - the main thing is to keep it cool.

First of all, I removed the case of the outdoor unit.

On the back of the casing is the coveted wiring diagram.

Two minutes was enough to understand - the ground is supplied to the 1.4 connectors, the 2 phase to the connector.

Having found the phase in the socket with an electric screwdriver, I quickly connected the contact group.

After plugging the plug into the outlet, the compressor with the fan started up as pretty, starting to drive the refrigerant around the circuit. I immediately started the indoor unit in the “FAN ONLY” mode, because the evaporator began to freeze instantly. The long-awaited coolness poured from the blades.

And now the neat assembly and ...

And in the end we got a prefabricated semiautomatic device, which is not very convenient to use, but given the cheap costs, this harvester cools perfectly, and I don't need more.

In the autumn, at the end of the season, when the failed air conditioners will be like shit at the bathhouse, I will find myself a suitable engine and everything will fall into place.

As you can see, the device of the household air conditioner is extremely simple and differs little from the refrigerator of the NO FROST system. Two fans, compressor and refrigerant circuit.

Therefore, having the simplest knowledge in the field of radiophysics, a meager set of tools and a bit of ingenuity, you can eliminate or circumvent some of the problems of a split system (for example, such as repairing an air conditioner board) with your own modest efforts ...

The air conditioner control board is one of the main elements that is responsible for the operation of all systems: starting the air conditioner, processing the information received from all kinds of sensors and the control panel, and sending signals to the corresponding systems and devices.

A common problem that some air conditioner owners face is a faulty relay on the control board.In this case, after turning on the air conditioner in the network, the fan of the indoor or outdoor unit immediately starts working, regardless of whether the air conditioner was turned on from the remote control or not. In this case, the relay must be replaced.

It also happens that after starting the air conditioner from the remote control, the fan of the indoor unit refuses to work - this means that the solid-state switch of the control board has failed, which must be replaced with a new one.

In inexpensive air conditioners of little-known manufacturers, in order to save money, sometimes control boards with poor soldering quality come across - this means that electronic control elements can have poor contact with the printed circuit board, as a result - irregular malfunctions and errors in the operation of the air conditioner. Moreover, work errors do not appear often and for no particular reason. In such situations, the board must be re-soldered.

Repair of the control board consists of identifying and replacing failed electronic elements - resistances, capacitors, relays, etc. In some cases, work is carried out to restore burned-out tracks of the printed circuit board or power elements of the control board. However, there are more severe cases when the central processor of the air conditioning control board fails.

Service centers do not repair and restore control boards with a faulty processor, and recommend completely replacing the board, which is quite expensive. However, our service center "RemonTechnik" is able to cope even with such a task. Professional and experienced craftsmen replace the central processor with its flashing. This avoids costly replacement of the entire control board and saves you money.

• Experienced and qualified craftsmen are able to identify all faults and eliminate them
• The workshops of the "RemonTechnik" service center have all the necessary diagnostic equipment, thanks to which the masters are able to quickly identify all faulty elements and replace them
• The presence of our own warehouse of electronic elements, which allows you to quickly repair the air conditioner control board.
• During the repair process, only original high-quality electronic elements are used, which, after replacement, are able to work properly for a long period of time.
• Service specialists repair control boards, regardless of the brand and model of the air conditioner - they will cope with any task!

Contact the "RemonTechnik" service center and you will be convinced of the quality of the repair and the high qualifications of our personnel.

Do-it-yourself air conditioner repair will significantly save not only money, but also time. But not an amateur can cope with any work, because an air conditioner is a complex equipment. Specialized diagnostic tools are often required. Determination of a breakdown is facilitated by the presence of self-diagnosis systems.

To eliminate breakdowns of climatic equipment, they invite masters from the service center. But in the summer season, they are overwhelmed with work for 2 weeks in advance. Waiting until the master is free is long and uncomfortable, because the temperature in the apartment rises to 30 degrees. If you have tools, you can try to fix the breakage yourself. To do this, you need to have minimal knowledge of how the air conditioner works, which is easy to find on the Internet by watching a couple of videos about repairing household split systems.

If the air conditioner does not turn on, carry out a simple diagnosis:

• Make sure that the module is connected to the power supply: turn it off and turn it on after a couple of minutes.
• Do the same with the remote control, change the batteries in the remote control.
• Check the integrity of the wiring and the machine.

If none of the above actions yielded results, the repair of the household air conditioner will have to be entrusted to professionals.

The first thing that the masters do is test the device according to the main parameters:

• check filters and drainage system for cleanliness - power may decrease due to poor air circulation in the system;
• they measure the current and voltage in the network - in old houses, the wiring sometimes does not withstand the load, with voltage surges, modern devices do not turn on, as they are specially protected;
• the electronics master checks the board; modern air conditioners have a self-diagnosis function and issue error codes, so it is much easier to figure out what exactly "flew";
• trivial reasons for equipment failure to turn on are considered - incorrectly selected operating mode, the appearance of heating devices near the equipment, inconveniently located blinds;
• check the sealing of the system and the amount of refrigerant;
• inspect the compressor, as it may break down due to being turned on for heating in the winter season without a winter kit.

All breakdowns, except for the last two, can be repaired by yourself.

To repair or replace a compressor, they contact the service center of the company from which the equipment was purchased. Sometimes a technician needs to be called to repair the electronic control board, since this is a more delicate job than washing the filter or replacing it.

Strong blowing directed towards people increases the risk of colds. The reason is the wrong position of the air conditioner curtains. They are set in a horizontal position and the problem goes away. There is a self-oscillating blind function. The instructions describe how to use the control panel to set it up in this air conditioner model.

A more difficult way out of the situation is to install a protective screen, which is ordered on the Internet or bought in construction supermarkets in the HVAC department. It takes 15 minutes to install the screen yourself if you have the tools.

Dripping from the indoor unit is one of the most common complaints in service centers. The cause of the breakdown is the clogged drainage tubes. In this case, you can repair the air conditioner yourself. Usually, the drain pipe is clogged with an ice plug when the equipment is turned on in cooling mode, when it is freezing outside.

Repairing the air conditioner pipes may not be necessary if you wait until the outside temperature is above zero. The ice will melt by itself, the equipment can be used again.

Under no circumstances should you run the air conditioner for cooling if you suspect an ice plug. This will lead to a major overhaul of the pipes.

Poor cooling, water droplets on the housing are signs of clogged filters. Thorough and regular cleaning - all necessary manipulations.

Problems with the lack of freon and compressor are associated. If water gets inside the system, the compressor parts are corroded. In addition, it overheats, which will be indicated by the black color of the oil. A test for acidity of the oil will make it possible to clarify that there are metal salts in the circuit.

Due to malfunctions in the electronics system, the compressor also suffers, so the refrigeration circuit, electronic systems are diagnosed first, and then the heart of the air conditioner.

Do-it-yourself air conditioner repair is impossible with the following breakdowns:

1. Freon leakage, which is determined by freezing of the connecting connections of the external unit. The master has specific equipment that is not available for most users of household split systems. If the four-way valve is damaged due to overheating, it is replaced.
2. Defect in the installation of copper pipes - for example - creases. The highway is being reinstalled, which an ordinary person cannot do without tools. Lack of evacuation is a serious disadvantage of installers. Flushing the system with freon does not remove water vapor that can corrode compressor parts.
3. Incorrect wiring between the outdoor and indoor units.
4. Incorrect wiring leads to malfunctions in the electronic board, which sometimes requires its replacement due to the fault of installers.

It is not recommended to troubleshoot the electrical part of the air conditioner without knowledge of the matter. This is fraught with negative consequences.

Compressor replacement takes place in two ways:

1. Without flushing the outdoor unit. If the oil has a light shade when drained, according to the analysis, the acidity is not increased, it does not contain foreign particles. The compressor is changed, the system is evacuated and tested.
2. Flushing of the external unit is necessary when the analysis of the oil showed increased acidity, the presence of dirt in the circuit and metal particles that got there after a poor-quality cut of the pipe.

The procedure is complicated, repairing the split system with your own hands in this case is impossible. It is made by craftsmen with special devices that remove extraneous inclusions from all hard-to-reach places of the freon line so that the problem does not recur.

Repairing the air conditioner board is a task for a specialist. Boards from different manufacturers differ from each other. In addition, even the power supply to the boards is carried out in different ways. Some are equipped with three-core wiring, others with single-core wiring. Some malfunctions are reported by the self-diagnostic system, but in most cases special devices are needed, for example, an oscilloscope. The control system is protected by a diode bridge, varistor and zener diode. Breakdowns are likely due to network congestion.

The following repairs are carried out independently:

1. Elimination of simple control and equipment errors - batteries, mode.
2. Cleaning the filters with detergents or vacuum cleaner.

The rest of the work - oil change, compressor repair, line re-laying, adjustment of electrical wires are carried out by professional craftsmen. If, when turning on the equipment, noise is heard and the device does not start to work fully after 3 - 5 minutes, it is turned off and the repairmen are called in.

Install the “winter kit” on the air conditioner yourself.

What are the reasons that the air conditioner refuses to turn on? How to find out the cause and fix it.

In the absence of an original compressor on sale, you can pick up a similar one in characteristics, but from a different manufacturer.

Consider the connection diagram of starting and working capacitors to motors, as well as their selection and calculation.

Sometimes the batteries bring us an unpleasant surprise - they leak and spoil the remote control. Read how to fix it and avoid it in the future.

The main language in which technical documentation on air conditioners is published is English. For the convenience of translation, we have compiled a table with the main phrases and terms from the technical documentation.

Where can I find out what resistance the compressor windings should have and how to measure it?

Climate technology plays an important role in creating a comfortable home environment. Repair of air conditioners in case of breakdown is easy to do with your own hands, since these devices are quite simple to operate and work.

In household ventilation systems, a decrease in work efficiency is immediately felt. If some signals about the impending breakdown of home air conditioners may not be immediately noticed, then the deterioration in performance is noticeable immediately (especially in the hot season). The main types of air conditioner malfunction:

Separately, it must be said about the breakdown of floor-standing household air conditioners. Correct installation of climatic technology plays a very important role. If the installation was not carried out on a flat surface, then the drains will clog first, and then the radiator and engine will fail. The air conditioner will hum during operation and accumulate condensate, after which it will be almost impossible to repair it.

Photo - the principle of work

Video: how the air conditioner works