Do-it-yourself air conditioner pipe repair

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

Repair of car air conditioning pipes can be carried out both because they are broken, and because they are dirty and cannot be cleaned. In winter, when the air conditioner is not running, aluminum hoses and pipes can become clogged, especially between the engine radiator and the air conditioner radiator. Contaminant particles can accumulate that can contaminate the lines. And all this in combination can interfere with the proper circulation of the refrigerant and mixing of refrigerant and moisture is simply inevitable. Image - Do-it-yourself air conditioner pipe repair

The tubes themselves are made of aluminum, so external factors can destroy this material. Temperature fluctuations, violation of the level of moisture, the presence of reagents - all this can lead to the destruction of aluminum. And besides this, there are sealing rings and rubber gaskets, which, under the influence of various factors, can collapse even faster.

The performance of aluminum tubes is affected by the climate of the country, temperature, road surface or lack of it, the overall load on the car and getting into traffic accidents.

All this negatively affects the operation of the cooling unit, and as a result, the repair of auto-conditioner tubes is simply inevitable.Image - Do-it-yourself air conditioner pipe repair

You may mistakenly think that nothing depends on the performance of the tubes, but its durability will depend on how timely the repair of the tubes of the auto-conditioner is carried out. Tightening can cause the compressor to depressurize and you will have to perform a complete replacement of the device. Worst of all, if during the wear process 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 the health of the passengers of the car will be impaired. Many have already felt for themselves that there can be real health problems from the cooling system.

Video (click to play).

Repairing air conditioning 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 compositions. The so-called soldering of holes in the form of patches is performed. Such mixtures can be applied in several layers so that their thickness is 2-3 millimeters. Thus, we achieve high-quality repair of the air conditioner of the car.

Welding of air conditioner tubes will be needed if the dimensions of the cracks exceed the norm of 2-3 millimeters. In this case, we acquire argon-arc welding and go to work.

Soldering a car air conditioner pipe

Car air conditioner tube after soldering

If you want to save a lot on repairing air conditioning pipes, you will have to do it yourself. I want to note that this will still require soldering experience, albeit a small one. It is important to stock up on a specific tool: a pipe cutter, a special bending machine and welding. Please note that a pipe cutter can also be replaced with a metal file, but this will not be the quality that we expect in the repair of auto air conditioning pipes.

The pipe bender can be both universal (for different diameters) and specific (for a certain diameter). When choosing this tool, it is worth knowing what sizes are used in your machine. Often this is a 6, 8, 10 size, which corresponds to the inner diameter in millimeters. You can look at the size on the car system or in the technical documentation.This is a fundamentally important repair issue, since different machines use different measurement systems.Image - Do-it-yourself air conditioner pipe repair

Repair of auto air conditioning pipes begins with the fact that you need to buy or make parts. Next, cut off the required length and bend them with 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 car air conditioning pipes, it is not always possible to resort to the above method. Sometimes the air conditioner tubes are replaced with hoses that are made of rubber. Although they are made of a less resistant material, replacing them will be very quick, simple and cheap. Welding of air conditioner tubes is not used here, usually the hoses are screwed in.

Welding of air conditioner tubes is also used if they are made of copper. The copper type of connections is more resistant than aluminum, but it is expensive. In this case, it is necessary to perform flaring. And this is a job for professionals with a high-quality specific tool (it is present only at good service stations). Sometimes insulation is performed for such parts, 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 monitor the cooling system very closely: listen to the sounds in the operation of devices, to smells and to general performance characteristics. All this can tell you in time about problems that are easy to fix in the early stages. Take care of your car and it will serve you for many years!

On the recording, an auto expert shows how to properly solder the copper pipe of an automobile air conditioner.

Repairing car air conditioning pipes 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, due to which, in turn, the air conditioner ceases to function. Armed with knowledge, the necessary tools and finding some free time for all this, you can fix the pipes and pipes of the air conditioner with your own hands.

Tubes 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 conditioning device
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Note! During the operation of the vehicle, the lines can become contaminated due to the accumulation of small particles. This leads to a violation of 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 mainly produced from aluminum - it is a light, reliable and relatively inexpensive material. But various external factors can adversely affect the product. Exposure to reagents, increased humidity or sudden changes in temperature - all of these factors, together or individually, contribute to the destruction of aluminum. In addition, the design of the system contains rubber gaskets and rings, which, when exposed to all the same factors, are destroyed much faster than tubes.

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Dirty air conditioning pipes

There are other causal factors that reduce the performance of the aluminum tubes of the car's air conditioner. The most common of these include:

  • participation in an accident;
  • driving style;
  • total load on the system;
  • the quality of the road surface;
  • the impact of the temperature regime;
  • the climate of the region where the car is operated.

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Rust on air conditioning pipes

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

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

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Diagnostics of the car air conditioner

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 be cooled. With a complete leak of freon, various symptoms may occur. Many modern models are equipped with systems that alert the driver of a possible 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, it is necessary to turn off the air conditioning compressor. This is necessary if you plan to continue to operate the vehicle with the air conditioner not working. Otherwise, the included compressor can lead to breakage of some components of the system.

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

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

A common way to repair damaged air conditioning pipes, but its implementation requires a welding machine, 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 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, having carried out their visual assessment, “patch” all the holes that have formed.

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What does argon welding look 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 the form of an aerosol, so they are easy to use. It is enough to apply a small layer of repair agent to the damaged section of the tube and wait.

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Air Conditioner Radiator Internal Repair Sealant

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

For most car models in specialized stores, you can buy air conditioning pipes made of rubber or aluminum. 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 at the same time the repair budget is small, then rubber pipelines are worth choosing.

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A/C pipe repair kit

Important! The operation of a car of early years of production implies frequent repair of pipelines (it is necessary to carry out repair work every 1-2 months).In such cases, it will be much easier and cheaper to replace the damaged air conditioning tube than to regularly waste your time trying to fix it.

Provided that the area of ​​\u200b\u200bdamage to the pipelines of the air conditioning system is small, all repairs can be successfully carried out on their own, without having experience. Also, repairs are carried out without outside help, the main thing is the desire and some free time.

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Repair of car air conditioning pipes

The cost of repairs in a car service depends on several factors, for example, on the model of the car and the difficulty of installing system elements, as well as on the region in which the repair will be made. 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 still decide to entrust the repair to specialists.

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Result of air conditioner repair

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