Maintenance Of A Typical Air Conditioning Unit

Electrical Electronics Engineering | Industrial Physics | Engineering

Maintaining a standard air conditioning unit is essential for optimizing its performance and prolonging its lifespan. Regular maintenance involves several key steps. Firstly, cleaning or replacing the air filters every one to three months prevents dust and debris buildup, ensuring proper airflow and indoor air quality. Secondly, inspecting and cleaning the evaporator and condenser coils annually prevents efficiency loss due to dirt accumulation. Additionally, checking and tightening electrical connections, lubricating moving parts, and inspecting the thermostat settings and refrigerant levels are crucial for ensuring the unit operates smoothly and efficiently. Furthermore, clearing debris from the unit’s surroundings and ensuring adequate airflow around the outdoor unit promotes optimal performance. Lastly, scheduling professional maintenance annually, including thorough inspection and servicing by qualified technicians, addresses any potential issues early on, preventing costly repairs and ensuring the unit’s longevity. By adhering to these maintenance practices, air conditioning units can operate efficiently, providing comfort and cooling relief while extending their operational lifespan.

ABSTRACT

This work covers diagnosing, repairing faults and replacing faulty components in air conditioning systems, components, interconnecting circuits and equipment. It encompasses working safely, reading electrical circuit diagrams, refrigeration, hydronic and air distribution system diagrams and manufacturers reference material, sketching diagrams from traced wiring and piping systems, applying logical fault finding procedures, conducting repairs, replacing components and completing the necessary service documentation.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

COVER PAGE

TITLE PAGE

APPROVAL PAGE

DEDICATION

ACKNOWELDGEMENT

ABSTRACT

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1 BACKGROUND OF THE PROJECT

AIM OF THE PROJECT
OBJECTIVE OF THE PROJECT
PURPOSE OF THE PROJECT
SIGNIFICANCE OF THE PROJECT
APPLICATION OF THE PROJECT

CHAPTER TWO

LITERATURE REVIEW

OVERVIEW OF THE STUDY
HISTORICAL BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY
OPERATING PRINCIPLES

CHAPTER THREE

METHODOLOGY

DESCRIPTION OF AIR CONDITIONER AND THEIR FUNCTION
AIR CONDITIONER BLOWER PROBLEM, RECTIFICATION AND REPAIR
AIR CONDITIONER THERMOSTAT PROBLEM, RECTIFICATION AND REPAIR
AIR CONDITIONER EVAPORATOR COIL PROBLEM, RECTIFICATION AND REPAIR
AIR CONDITIONER COMPRESSOR PROBLEM, RECTIFICATION AND REPAIR
AIR FILTER PROBLEM AND REPAIR
AIR CONDITIONER CONDENSER PROBLEM, RECTIFICATION AND REPAIR
AIR CONDITIONER FAN PROBLEM AND REPAIR

CHAPTER FOUR

TESTING AND RESULTS

AIR CONDITIONING CALCULATIONS
COOLING CAPACITY
AIR-CONDITIONER SIZING
CALCULATION FOR SIZING AN AIR-CONDITIONER

CHAPTER FIVE

CONCLUSION
RECOMMENDATION

CHAPTER ONE

1.0 INTRODUCTION

Air conditioning is the process of removing heat and moisture from the interior of an occupied space, to improve the comfort of occupants. Air conditioning can be used in both domestic and commercial environments. This process is most commonly used to achieve a more comfortable interior environment, typically for humans and animals; however, air conditioning is also used to cool/dehumidify rooms filled with heat-producing electronic devices, such as computer servers, power amplifiers, and even to display and store some delicate products, such as artwork.

Air conditioners often use a fan to distribute the conditioned air to an occupied space such as a building or a car to improve thermal comfort and indoor air quality. Electric refrigerant-based AC units range from small units that can cool a small bedroom, which can be carried by a single adult, to massive units installed on the roof of office towers that can cool an entire building. The cooling is typically achieved through a refrigeration cycle, but sometimes evaporation or free cooling is used. Air conditioning systems can also be made based on desiccants (chemicals which remove moisture from the air) and subterraneous pipes that can distribute the heated refrigerant to the ground for cooling.^[2]

In the most general sense, air conditioning can refer to any form of technology that modifies the condition of air (heating, (de-)humidification, cooling, cleaning, ventilation, or air movement). In common usage, though, “air conditioning” refers to systems which cool air. In construction, a complete system of heating, ventilation, and air conditioning is referred to as HVAC.^[3]

The main function of an air conditioning system is mainly to produce cool ventilation inside the building in which the heat is taken out from a certain location to give a chilled air effect. The main process is that the air circulation is drawn to the condenser containing refrigerant gas.

However, when an air conditioner fails to perform its function we said the air conditioner is faulty and needs to be rectified and repaired. When an air conditioner suddenly stops working, it can be cause for alarm or it can be something as simple as a blown fuse or tripped circuit breaker. While many problems with air conditioner will require a professional technician to repair the issue.This work highlights different faults of an ac and also deals with different methods they can be rectified and repaired in a student mechanical workshop.

1.1 AIM OF THE PROJECT

The main aim of this work is to maintain a typical air conditioningunit in mechanical engineering workshop.

1.2 OBJECTIVE OF THE PROJECT

At the end of this project, student involves shall be able:

To report faults and diagnosed in a logical and systematic manner in accordance with industry practice.
To underline causes or ac faults and are correctly established.
Faults are rectified in accordance with standard industry practices.
To repair, adjust, and replace components.
Underlying causes are correctly established and documented in accordance with worksite procedures.
State the safety precautions to be observed when rectifying faults in AC unit
To list different faults in an AC unit.

1.4 PURPOSE OF THE PROJECT

This unit standard is for people working or intending to work in the air conditioning. Student credited with this unit standard are able to, under supervision; prepare to diagnose and rectify faults in air conditioning system in mechanical workshop. The purpose is to rectify and repair faults in air conditioning mechanical systems and components, to complete fault diagnosis and repair procedures.

1.5 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE PROJECT

As a student of mechanical engineering, this work exposed me to working principle of an air conditioner, faults and troubleshooting guide to help you address the most common problems you may encounter with your air conditioner.

With this work I was able to explain how to repair and replace ac parts and supply hints for troubleshooting noise problems and performing the replacement.

1.6 APPLICATIONS OF THE PROJECT

Apart from academic purposes, this study can also be useful to:

Ac producers,
Ac users/ owners
Ac technicians, etc. For rectification and repair of a faulty air conditioner.

CHAPTER FIVE

5.1 CONCLUSION

In this work, rectification and repair of a faulty air condition was studied. One of the most common air conditioning problems is improper operation. If your air conditioner is on, be sure to close your home’s windows and outside doors. For room air conditioners, isolate the room or a group of connected rooms as much as possible from the rest of your home.

Other common problems with existing air conditioners result from faulty installation, poor service procedures, and inadequate maintenance. Improper installation of a central air conditioner can result in leaky ducts and low airflow. Many times, the refrigerant charge (the amount of refrigerant in the system) does not match the manufacturer’s specifications. If proper refrigerant charging is not performed during installation, the performance and efficiency of the unit is impaired. Unqualified service technicians often fail to find refrigerant charging problems or even worsen existing problems by adding refrigerant to a system that is already full.

Air conditioner manufacturers generally make rugged, high quality products. If your air conditioner fails, begin by checking any fuses or circuit breakers. Let the unit cool down for about five minutes before resetting any breakers. If a central air conditioner’s compressor stops on a hot day, the high-pressure limit switch may have tripped; reset it by pushing the button, located in the compressor’s access panel.

5.2 RECOMMENDATION

In this work we have put together the following troubleshooting guide to help students address the most common problems you may encounter with air conditioner. It is important to note that many common problems with air conditioners can be caused by inadequate maintenance. To help avoid any future issues, we recommend that you get set up on an annual maintenance plan for your heating and cooling systems.