Do-it-yourself dismantling the air conditioner from the wall

Relocations often involve partial or complete dismantling of an air conditioner. And if some kind of technique does not require the use of a special tool and certain technical skills (for example, a washing machine), then a careful approach is needed for other devices. And such devices include air conditioning.

Is it possible to dismantle the air conditioner with your own hands

It is enough to have at hand a pre-acquired specialized tool, to know some technical subtleties and not rush. The question arises: why waste time and effort if you can call the appropriate specialists who will perform the necessary operations in a short time? It is possible, but there are two reasons why this should not be done:

• Price is the most important aspect. The average pricing policy for dismantling a modern split system is 4000 rubles. We are talking about small apartment models. If the device has solid dimensions and is installed mainly in offices, then the price will rise to 10,000 rubles. Pretty significant for the budget.
• The likelihood of hitting low-quality "specialists." The modern desire of the population for their own business leads to the mass appearance of people who are not versed in the work that they perform. Also with some "masters" of air conditioners. Therefore, the chance increases that for a lot of money the procedure will be performed poorly.

But it should be said right away that manual removal of a split system may not always be successful. A common problem is the complete leakage of freon, which is quite expensive, and the price of a new one is at least 1,500 rubles. Therefore, when removing do-it-yourself air conditioner all actions should be performed accurately.

The necessary tool and its possible replacement

If you have the money, you can hire a wizard to remove and install modern split systems, while not even paying attention to the manufacturers of this tool, from which the price policy changes. But then the meaning of independent dismantling disappears, which is carried out in order to save money. Therefore, some varieties of the tool are best replaced with cheaper ones, and some will have to be abandoned altogether.

The list of tools that are needed when disassembling:

• Manometric manifold. A necessary thing, since it will show the pressure when pumping freon to the outdoor unit. And this particular measuring device falls into the category of tools that you should refuse (at your own peril and risk), since its minimum cost is 1,500 rubles. A more reliable one will cost 3000-3500 rubles.

Example pressure gauge for split systems

• A set of hexagons. This position is required, since the nozzle cannot be unscrewed differently. Fortunately, the price of such keys is not sky-high - 3000-350 rubles.
• Pipe cutter. It is inexpensive (about 300 rubles), but you can further reduce costs and purchase an ordinary hacksaw for metal, which will then be useful several times in the household.
• Flat and figured screwdrivers. Now sold in any construction or hardware store.
• Safety equipment if the air conditioner is located on the upper floors.Here it is not worth saving, and not paying for goods whose cost is less than 1000-1500 rubles.

And one more prerequisite is the presence of an assistant, and preferably two. Both the external and indoor units have a solid weight, so it will be difficult to handle it yourself, you can accidentally damage the device.

What to look for when dismantling

The most fragile place in the air conditioner is the compressor pump. Despite its compact dimensions, the design of such a pump includes complex mechanical components: rotors with cams, sealed system elements and a chamber in which the main work takes place.

If ordinary dust gets in, the walls of the chamber can be damaged, respectively - freon will move aimlessly through the system without doing any useful work. Therefore, the main slogan when dismantling the air conditioner is the safety of the vacuum in the system, which, in turn, requires the tightness of all external holes.

The main varieties of withdrawal: with and without Freon

How to remove or outweigh the air conditioner from the wall, and not lose freon? As mentioned above, freon is quite expensive, and when removing the air conditioner with your own hands, it should be preserved. But if the life of the device is long, and freon is subject to replacement, then when moving it can not be saved, but simply drained and disposed of.

If a decision is made to save freon, the sequence for removing the air conditioner is as follows:

1. On the outside of the split system, service valves with protective caps covering special slots are installed. To access the slots, the caps should be disassembled and the hexagon installed only in the valve on the thin tube located at the bottom of the device.

Removing Special Hex Slots

1. Now you need to set the lowest temperature for cooling the air and turn on the device to the maximum operating mode. On some models the option "turbo" is provided.
2. After switching on the enhanced operation mode, the valve (with the hexagon installed) should be tightened. From this moment, the system should work for at least one minute, during which the entire freon will flow into the external unit.
3. After pumping freon to the outdoor unit, the gas line is shut off and the device turns off. It should be remembered that continued operation of the air conditioner in this mode with two valves closed will lead to damage to the split system.
4. Remove the fastening nuts of the copper pipes coated with a heat-insulating layer, which should also be removed. Now the tubes are gently bent and can be reached through the hole in the wall.

When removing the external unit, an assistant is needed

After performing all of the above operations, you can proceed to the direct dismantling of the air conditioner, which is better to start with the removal of the external unit.

It is very important to remember that pipes should be plugged after removal. Often, a simple adhesive tape, film or electrical tape is used for this. A more reliable way is to close them with simple pliers. If you approach the problem with all responsibility, then the ends of the pipes should be securely closed using a bench vise, thus preventing the penetration of moisture and dust into the evaporation chamber.

How to correctly and quickly dismantle the external unit of the split system

This procedure should not be performed if the system is installed on the upper floors of a multi-storey building. It can be life threatening.

Removing the upper unit on the upper floors

Removing the external unit of the split system occurs only after all the above operations have been correctly performed. Disassembling should be started by disconnecting the input electric cable, the wires of which are suitable for the terminal box of the air conditioner, located under a special protective cover.To simplify connecting the device to a new location, the wires should be marked with the corresponding colors (red - phase, blue - zero, yellow-green - ground).

It remains only to unscrew the nuts that attach the air conditioner to the brackets. There is no problem, but an assistant is needed to support the external unit during the whole process. When the nuts are unscrewed, you can carefully remove the unit and prepare for transportation.

Do not forget the brackets to which the air conditioner is attached. Usually they are mounted with dowels to the outer part of the wall, and it takes a little time to dismantle.

You should be aware that manufacturers of split systems categorically prohibit transporting devices into which freon is downloaded. Why? The answer is simple: after all the above steps, excessive pressure is generated in the system, and the air conditioner case is not designed for even the slightest mechanical impact. Therefore, without the necessary conditions (wrapping the block with a sealant or a special film), the block body can simply break through. This can be understood by the characteristic hiss.

Removing the indoor unit

After the external unit is dismantled, it is necessary to dismantle the indoor (located in the room) air conditioning unit. There are fewer problems with it, since there is no need to work even at a low altitude, but a certain dismantling order and additional tricks are present.

Do not relax and think that it is enough to unscrew a few nuts, remove the indoor unit, and send it to a new place. The main trick is the desire of air conditioning manufacturers to make the process of removing the device for the masters as inaccessible as possible. That is why, on each indoor unit, a latch system is provided with which it is attached to the wall. You can work with such mounts only with the help of a special tool, but there are no hopeless situations, and it is quite possible to choose something simpler.

Two screwdrivers help to quickly deal with latches

One more tip: when removing a block, it is best to have not one assistant, but two. This is due to the fact that the indoor unit is quite bulky and heavy, and one person may simply not cope.

The two most common options for removing the indoor unit:

• The simplest design is sometimes the most complex, which is why manufacturers of split systems try to hide the latches under the evaporator cover. The cap bolts are located inward, so to unscrew them you will need a special short bit in the form of a figured screwdriver and a ratchet head.
• In addition to attaching the evaporator cover, the latches themselves try to make the internal ones. In the absence of a special tool, you can use two flat screwdrivers and insert them between the bracket and the wall. Now it’s enough to push a little (it’s not worth zeal too much, they are removed without effort), and the assistant can safely remove the indoor unit.

Removing the indoor unit with an assistant

There is one circumstance that can significantly interfere with the work - is the presence of a large number of evaporation tubes, and usually they are located near the mounting brackets. Therefore, when working with brackets, you should be as careful as possible so as not to damage them.

How to outweigh air conditioning

Often there are situations in which the transfer of the air conditioner is more relevant than its complete dismantling. At the same time, one of the blocks is left in place, and for the second, the tubes are simply extended. The process of removing both the indoor and outdoor units is no different from those described above, the only difference is the need to build up copper or ordinary pipes.

When dismantling one of the blocks, you should also monitor the safety of freon and before carrying out all operations, pump it into the outdoor unit. It is necessary to outweigh the split system after undocking it as accurately as possible without damaging the air conditioner case.For greater cost savings, you can not solder pipes yourself, but entrust this matter to specialists. The split-system service masters have a corresponding column in the price list, which is called as an extension of the interblock track.

Some useful tips

Having prepared the necessary tool, reading the instructions and watching the corresponding videos on the Internet, you should also find out several important subtleties:

• As with the complete dismantling of the split system, and with a partial transfer of the device, one should not worry too much about the safety of copper tubes. Replacing them will not cost too much money and installing new ones is always better than repairing old ones.
• If it is difficult to understand which pipeline is liquid and which is gas, it is necessary to pay attention to the diameter of the nozzles. A liquid pipeline, also a discharge pipe, is always thinner than a gas supply pipe.

Examples of handsets on an air conditioner

• During transportation, the system should be encircled with any sealant, since any blow to the case may lead to loss of freon or device failure.

And the most important advice is never to rush, since these systems require accurate and accurate movements, strength here will not always help.