Tools For installing Air Conditioners

It is possible to perform competent work in any field only with the availability of special tools, and the installation of climate control equipment is no exception. Since the correct installation of an air conditioner is a difficult procedure that requires strict consistency in its actions.

Equipment for air conditioning during installation of split systems must be in the kit of every installer if he uses this type of activity as the main or additional income for himself. When installing air conditioners, it is necessary to perform various operations, and various tools and equipment are required. This will be described in more detail below in the article.

Materials required for installing an air conditioner

A wall-mounted air conditioner is a complex and very sensitive device to external changes in weather conditions. Therefore, when installing the equipment correctly, it is necessary to strictly adhere to all the requirements for materials from manufacturers. In this case, hoses and pipes of a certain caliber, wires of the required cross-section, brackets for fastening units of the required thickness, etc. must be used.

Now for split installation there is a large selection of ready-made flared tubes with nuts for the main line, as well as a set of necessary wires in a single loop. And it is more profitable to purchase such kits than to collect the installation tool separately.

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In addition to these kits, the following materials will be required for installing a conventional air conditioner:

• circuit breaker 15-20 A, depending on the equipment power;

• insulation for pipeline insulation;

• corrugated pipes for laying cables or cables in grooves;

• lining box for main and drainage pipes;

• brackets for mounting modules and corresponding fasteners;

• drainage hose;

• fittings of various designs for transitions to pipes of different diameters and for changing direction at 90 degrees.

• mounting foam for sealing the hole for the cable.

Also, when installing duct air conditioners, you will need profile material to make a structure for installing air ducts.

Standard installer's kit

Each team installing split systems is provided with a set of air conditioner pipe tools:

• pipe cutter – a device for cutting pipes evenly and efficiently;

• reamer – a device for removing chamfers from the cut part of a product;

• a mop is a device for processing the end part of pipes in hard-to-reach places;

• pipe bender – used for even bending of pipes to a given degree.

And also an eccentric rolling machine. Such a device is the most important in the installer's arsenal from the tool kit, since the tightness of the tube connections depends on the quality of rolling.

Professional power tool

In addition to devices for cutting pipes, air conditioning equipment installers are equipped with all kinds of power tools, which include:

• A hammer drill. It must be powerful enough to form holes in load-bearing walls made of concrete and brick with a diameter of up to 65 mm and a depth of up to 1000-1500 mm. Drilling such holes is necessary for laying a cable from the external to the internal blocks.

• This procedure is the most labor-intensive operation during installation, especially if it occurs at a height. A standard loop consists of main, drainage pipes and a cable in a corrugated sleeve, fastened together with PVC tape to protect against precipitation. This power tool is usually equipped with diamond transition drills of different diameters.

• Drill with a hammer drill. It is necessary for drilling for bracket fasteners for hanging blocks and when running a cable along the wall.

• Chaser. A special power tool for making grooves (chasses) in a wall for laying a main line. They are then sealed with mortar or covered with a decorative cover.

• Angle grinder. It is necessary for cutting the frame mesh in a concrete reinforced concrete panel when cutting grooves.

• Industrial vacuum cleaner. Such a device is needed for sucking up dust, small crumbs during chasing and drilling.

• A screwdriver with a set of bits. It is necessary for fixing the air conditioner protective covers and fastening decorative elements.

• Also included in the power tool service are drills of different lengths and diameters, diamond core bits, and chase cutters.

Equipment set for refueling and testing air conditioners

Every technician who installs and refills air conditioners must be provided with a special kit for refilling air conditioners, which includes:

• Manometric station for filling air conditioners;

• Vacuum pump;

• Freon filling hoses;

• Valves for testing filling equipment;

• Adapters for transition from one gas to another;

• Electronic scales.

Equipment for servicing air conditioners performs a complete analysis of the air conditioner pipeline and helps to fill the line with freon. The device is placed in a convenient case, and there is an accompanying instruction for working with it.

Types of vacuum pumps

Split systems often require partial rather than full filling. Top-up is usually done by pressure, and full pumping is done by weight. But before this procedure, in any case, it will be necessary to remove air from the system with a vacuum pump.

For inverter air conditioners, single-stage units with low productivity are used. And industrial air conditioning units are processed by powerful two-stage vacuum pumps with increased air pumping speed.

All vacuum pumps are divided into low-vacuum and high-vacuum types.

The following low-vacuum pumps stand out:

• Vane-rotor. These units are chambered with a rotor and spring-loaded blades inside. When the mechanism rotates, air is compressed and forced through the device. These devices monitor the pressure in the residue and require oil refilling.

• Liquid ring. Such pumps are provided with liquid in the compression chamber for operation. They are simple in design and have protection for the surrounding atmosphere. Liquid ring pumps are provided with a common part - a flywheel.

• Two-rotor. In two-stage products, the rotors are mounted one after the other to increase the vacuum process.

High vacuum ones are divided into:

• Diffusion. These pumps are designed to operate in an environment with foreign particles, are neutral to voltage drops, and also have high power;

• Cryo Adsorption. In such units, gas is sucked in by freezing with liquid nitrogen. The disadvantage of such a station is the use of toxic oil, which must be disposed of;

• Heterionic. These pumps perform the vacuuming procedure without leaving a trace, so they are very effective in use. But they are rarely used due to their high cost.

To select the right vacuum pump, you need to have a good understanding of the air conditioner parameters, with special attention paid to the residual pressure in the line and the performance of the compressor motor.

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Other devices

Manometric manifold. A portable analog station serves to control the gas pressure in the split system main line. The device is connected to a vacuum pump, climate control device and a refrigerant cylinder via hoses. Manometers are distinguished by color: blue - measures low pressure, red - determines high pressure.

Electronic scales. Scales are an invariable attribute when fully filling the air conditioner circuit with freon, and this option is more reliable than pumping by pressure.

What else might you need?

Freon. In household split systems, several types of gas are used for filling: R 22, R 410a, R 407c. Its type is usually indicated in the accompanying manual and on the module nameplate. The same equipment can be used to fill the gas line, only when pumping in freon, you need to use additional adapters and reinforced hoses. This is due to the fact that freon creates higher pressure in the circuit.

• Device for detecting freon leaks. To test the line into which freon is pumped, it is convenient to use a miniature gas leak detector. This electronic device, consisting of a plastic case with a display and a sensor, can detect freon leaks of about 3-6 g / year.

• Hex keys. The list of tools for filling air conditioners would be incomplete without hex keys. They are needed to unscrew the test nipples and pump freon into the circuit.

• Additional criteria when choosing a set of tools for repair may be the brand of oil, as well as the increased noise level of the compressor, the weight of the device and certain operating conditions.