Despite the fact that there are air conditioners in almost every home, only a few users correctly imagine the scheme of such a device and how it works, it is connected. In this article, we will try to expand on this topic.
General scheme of the air conditioner
The whole system is based on the ability of substances to absorb heat during evaporation and release it during condensation. Such an air conditioner scheme is incorporated into the operation of a modern split system. The main substance inside the closed system of the device is freon. Having the ability to change its state of aggregation by changing temperature and pressure, we will be able to cool the radiator and drive air from the street through it.
But first, let's get acquainted with the main elements of the split system. The scheme and principle of operation of the air conditioner involve the use of two blocks: outdoor and indoor. What are they for?
Outdoor unit
This unit is installed outdoors and mainly serves to cool superheated freon (it does not take air from the street, the air conditioner is used to cool the air in the room. To takeoutdoor air ventilation units are used). It consists of the following nodes:
- Fan.
- Capacitor. In this part, freon is cooled and condensed. The air that passes through the condenser is heated and vented outside.
- Compressor. The main element of the air conditioner, which compresses freon and circulates it throughout the circuit.
- Control unit. It is usually used in outdoor units of inverter systems. In conventional air conditioners, all electronics are most often located in the indoor unit.
- 4 way valve. It is used in models that can work for heating (most modern air conditioners). This element, when the heating function is activated, changes the direction of the refrigerant flow. As a result, the outdoor and indoor units are reversed: the indoor unit is for heating, the outdoor unit is for cooling.
- Various fittings that connect copper pipes between indoor and outdoor units.
- Refrigerant filter. Installed in front of the compressor in order to protect the latter from dirt that may enter the system during installation.
Indoor unit
It includes items:
- Front panel through which air enters. It can be easily removed to allow the user to access the filters.
- The coarse filter is an ordinary plastic mesh that traps coarse dust (such as animal hair, fluff, etc.). This grid needs to be cleaned once everymonth.
- Filter system consisting of carbon, antibacterial, electrostatic filters. Depending on the air conditioner model, some filters may not be available at all.
- Fan to circulate clean indoor air - cold or warm.
- Evaporator. It is a radiator where ice coolant enters. This radiator is strongly cooled by freon, and the fan drives air through it, which instantly becomes cold.
- Louvers for adjusting airflow direction.
- The indicator panel shows which mode the air conditioner is in.
- Control board. It contains the central processing unit and the electronics unit.
- Nipple connections - pipes connecting the indoor and outdoor units are connected to them.
The air conditioner circuit is simple and logical, but some users do not understand why two units are needed? After all, you can take warm air from the room and drive it through the air conditioner, cooling it. But not everything is so simple: you cannot produce cold without producing heat. The heat needs to be vented out. For this purpose, a two-block system is ideal. There are also other systems, such as single-block. There, the heat is removed outside through a special air duct, brought outside the apartment.
Detailed scheme of the air conditioner
Now that you know the basic elements, you can consider in more detail how this system works. So, when the cooling mode is activated from the control panel, the system turns oncompressor. It pressurizes and drives the gas through the radiator. After passing the radiator (in the outdoor unit), the gas becomes liquid and hot (if you remember, when it condenses, it releases heat).
Now the hot liquid freon (which was gas before the radiator) enters the expansion valve, where the freon pressure is reduced. As a result of this, the freon evaporates, and a gas-liquid cold mixture enters the evaporator (the freon becomes cold during evaporation). The evaporator is cooled and the fan blows the cold out of it into the room. Then the gaseous freon enters the condenser again, and at this stage the circle closes.
This circuit diagram of the air conditioner is valid for all types. Regardless of the model, power and functionality of the system, all air conditioners are built on this principle, including automotive, industrial and household.
Connecting air conditioner
The air conditioner installation scheme is simple, but the installation itself is rather complicated. Only specialists who have the appropriate equipment can produce it. The whole difficulty lies in the installation of the outdoor unit and the pumping of freon inside. You also need to make a huge hole in the wall, and if the house is panel, then the complexity of the work increases.
As for the connection to the mains, it is enough just to connect the indoor unit of the device to the outlet, nothing more. But the power air conditioner connection diagram is a document that shows the location of various components and information forservice centers. He is more interested in engineers who are engaged in the repair and connection of equipment. In the context of this article, it is impossible to give a single connection diagram for an air conditioner, since it may be different for different models.
Connecting blocks
After the outdoor and indoor units of the air conditioner have been installed, they must be connected together. This is done using a four-core copper cable. The cores must have a cross section of at least 2.5 mm2. The air conditioner connection diagram that comes with the device itself is to some extent an instruction. Usually the connecting cable is laid along with the freon line, although it can also be laid in a separate plastic box.
Connection via leased line
After connecting the two units together, you need to connect the indoor unit to the network. You can use the nearest outlet, however, given the rather high power of the installation, experts recommend allocating a separate power line for it, which will go directly to the meter. This will remove a large load from the common line of the electrical system of the apartment. Cable laying to the shield can be made through a special groove or in a plastic box. Do not leave the wire open.
The shield into which the power line of the air conditioner (and the general line of the electrical system of the apartment) will enter must be grounded. In this case, the power supply of the cable must be connected through an automatic machine of a certain power. It is calculated according toformula: air conditioner power divided by voltage (220 or 230 V). Add 30% to the resulting value for power reserve.
Connecting to the general power supply system of the apartment
Connecting the device to a regular outlet that belongs to a common power line is only possible if your air conditioner is not powerful and will not create a large load on the network. When the power consumption of the air conditioner is 1 kW or less, it can be connected to a conventional outlet. Typically, models designed for cooling 20 square meters have this capacity.
