DIY air conditioner tube repair

In detail: do-it-yourself air conditioner pipe repair from a real master for the site my.housecope.com.

The repair of the auto-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. Image - DIY air conditioner pipe repair

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 influenced by the country's climate, temperature conditions, 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.Image - DIY air conditioner pipe repair

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.Image - DIY air conditioner pipe repair

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 the cooling system needs to be closely monitored: 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.

Repairing air conditioning pipes in a car is a common problem that every driver has to deal with at some point. Minor damage to the tube leads to the fact that freon begins to leave the system, which, in turn, causes the air conditioner to stop functioning. Armed with the knowledge, the necessary tools and having carved out some free time for all this, you can fix the pipes and pipes of the air conditioner with your own hands.

The pipes can be repaired not only due to mechanical damage, but also in case of severe contamination, when the product cannot be cleaned. In winter, for example, when the air conditioner is not in use, all aluminum connections can become clogged. Often the area between the radiators of the air conditioner and the car engine suffers from clogging.

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Car air conditioner device
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Note! During the operation of the vehicle, the highways can become dirty due to the accumulation of small particles. This leads to a disturbance in the circulation of the refrigerant in the air conditioning system, as a result of which moisture begins to mix with the coolant.

Air conditioner tubes are predominantly made of aluminum, which is a lightweight, reliable and relatively inexpensive material. But various external factors can negatively affect the product. Exposure to reagents, increased humidity or sudden changes in temperature - all of these factors, in aggregate or separately, contribute to the destruction of aluminum. In addition, the design of the system contains gaskets and rings made of rubber, which, under the influence of all the same factors, break down much faster than pipes.

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Dirty air conditioner pipes

There are other causal factors that reduce the performance of the aluminum tubes of the vehicle air conditioner. The most common ones include:

  • participation in an accident;
  • driving style;
  • total system loads;
  • the quality of the road surface;
  • exposure to temperature conditions;
  • the climate of the region where the car is operated.

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Rust on the air conditioner tubes

All these factors negatively affect the performance of the air conditioner and all its components, so the pipes of the cooling unit will sooner or later have to be repaired or changed.

If there is a small leak of refrigerant from the system, it is rather difficult to recognize pipe damage in the early stages, since the system will then function as usual. But at the same time, the system will require more energy and time to cool the car interior. Also at this stage, when the air conditioner is on, the fuel consumption will be slightly increased, which cannot be overlooked when operating the car.

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Car air conditioner diagnostics

If there is practically no gas left in the system, but this is enough for the system to work, then the air conditioner will work without any signs of malfunction. Cooled air will flow from the air ducts into the passenger compartment, but the car will no longer be able to cool down. With a complete leak of freon, various symptoms may occur. Many modern models are equipped with systems that alert the driver of a probable problem. Also, these systems turn off the air conditioner on their own to avoid serious damage to it.

On a note! If there is a complete leakage of coolant from the system, turn off the air conditioning compressor. This is necessary if you plan to continue to operate the vehicle with the air conditioner off. Otherwise, the switched on compressor can lead to breakdown of some components of the system.

Even though every city in the country has a large number of high-quality car services, many motorists prefer to fix minor problems with their car in a garage. Avid motorists spend all their free time on repairing their swallows, because self-repair is not only money saved, but also a real hobby and new experience.

Depending on the severity of the damage to the air conditioner tubes, different repair methods are used, for example, argon welding, special repair compounds and ready-made kits purchased from a specialized store. Let's take a look at each of these methods separately.

A common way to repair damaged air conditioner pipes, but for its implementation, a welding machine is required, which not every motorist has. It is necessary not only to have such a device, but also to be able to use it so that the repair work has at least some efficiency. The repair process is very simple: you need to remove the damaged tubes of the air conditioner and, after making a visual assessment, "patch" all the holes that have formed.

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What argon welding looks like

If small cracks appear on the part, then they can be repaired with the help of special repair compounds. Most of these products are available in aerosol form and are therefore easy to use. It is enough to apply a small layer of the repair agent to the damaged section of the tube and wait.

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Air Conditioner Radiator Interior Repair Sealant

For complete solidification of the composition, at least 10 hours are required. After this, the product must be installed back on the air conditioner, and the system itself can be fully exploited.

For most car models, you can buy air conditioning pipes made of rubber or aluminum in specialized stores. The difference between them lies not only in the material used, but also in the complexity of the installation process and the price of the products. If you want to get the job done faster, but the repair budget is small, then rubber pipelines are worth choosing.

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Air Conditioner Tubes Repair Kit

Important! Operation of a car of early years of production implies frequent repair of pipelines (you have to carry out repair work every 1-2 months).In such cases, it will be much easier and cheaper to replace the damaged air conditioner tube than to regularly spend your time trying to patch it up.

Provided that the area of ​​damage to the air conditioning system pipelines is small, all repair work can be successfully performed on your own, without having experience. Also, repairs are carried out without assistance, the main thing is desire and a little free time.

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Car air conditioner tube repair

The cost of repairs in a car service depends on several factors, for example, on the car model and the difficulty of installing system elements, as well as on the region in which the repair will be carried out. It's no secret that in Moscow or St. Petersburg the prices for car repairs are much higher than, for example, in less populated cities. This must be taken into account if you nevertheless decide to entrust the repair to specialists.

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Air conditioner repair result

Provided that all actions are performed correctly, the vehicle's air conditioning system will fully recover, and you will again be able to drive along hot city streets in conditions of increased comfort.