Although their function is simple, air-conditioners are fairly complex machines that have to be handled properly during aircon servicing. What was once a basic system to heat and cool the air has become a complex, automatic temperature control system with cabin air filtration. It is no longer enough to have basic knowledge and some simple tools to be able to diagnose problems with an air-conditioning unit and service it in the right manner. Modern climate control units in Singapore require proper tools as well as up-to-date information if the job is to be done properly.
Some of the things to avoid when you are servicing your air-conditioning unit:
1. Failing To Identify The System Refrigerant
The first thing that you need to do is to identify the kind of refrigerant that is being used in your air-conditioner when you are repairing it. This is because one of the most common mistakes is mixing refrigerants, making the system fail to function properly. In addition, the incorrect refrigerant can also damage the components in the air-conditioner. The most important reason to identify the refrigerant is that if you put the wrong refrigerant in the unit, this can be explosive. A refrigerant identifier should be used if you want to know what’s in the A/C unit or container.
2. Improperly Recharging The A/C unit
Early air-conditioning units required refrigerant in huge quantities. It was not unusual to find a unit requiring three pounds or more. Charging tolerance for such units was reasonable as well. A simple charging station and digital scale was the only thing that was needed when servicing the unit. However, these days, you can find a unit carrying just one pound of refrigerant. It is therefore important to ensure that you put the required amount of refrigerant during aircon servicing. Just a few ounces of overcharging or undercharging reduces the performance of the unit and the compressor lubrication is affected.
3. Not Using The Approved Refrigerants
Currently, there are two Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) refrigerants that are recommended and they are CFC-12 and HFC-134a. There is a third refrigerant that is in the process of being approved. Back in the days when you were servicing the A/C unit in a vehicle that was manufactured before 1992, the recommended refrigerant was CFC-12. Car manufacturers have since reverted to HFC-134a as the recommended refrigerant for vehicles previously using CFC-12. Even though you might find numerous brands being marketed as approved brands, you should be wary and only use trustworthy brands to avoid mistakes.
4. Using Substandard Replacement Parts
In many instances during aircon servicing, the replacement parts can prove to be quite costly. There is a temptation to try to cut down the cost by buying inferior parts. When you consider an A/C unit with an expansion valve, the refrigerant absorbs heat from your evaporator. Later, the refrigerant would give up this heat inside the condenser. If one of these components, or even the radiator, does not match the performance specification, the unit will not function properly. Even if the part looks like an original and it even correctly fits in place, it doesn’t mean that it meets the OEM performance.
5. Improperly Flushing A Unit
When a mechanical component in a unit has failed catastrophically, debris could scatter throughout your refrigerant loop. In this case, flushing needs to be done in order to remove the debris that can impede the flow of refrigerant in the condenser or cause the replacement compressor to fail. However, with a wrong product or using an improper procedure to flush the unit, this could be more harmful. Follow the recommendations of the manufacturer if you want to avoid any problems.
6. Failing To Check For Leaks
Based on the period in which repairs are made, you might not run the unit again for several months. Therefore, if a leak exists, even though the unit might function properly after the repairs, it could malfunction months later. Even if the leak is small, refrigerant will manage to escape and you might not notice this. It is therefore important to use an electronic leak detector to find the leaks effectively. If you can avoid the above mistakes, you will have done a good job of aircon servicing and you will end up saving huge sums of money that are spent on repair services.
