Freon leak

Where can a freon leak occur? What are the reasons for leakage? What should be done to find a freon leak? how to fill the refrigerator

Causes of freon leakage, refueling the refrigerator. Has your equipment started malfunctioning? Does the refrigerator cool poorly, and the temperature adjustment does not give a positive result? It is quite possible that there was a freon leak. Unfortunately, without diagnostics and a professional examination, it is almost impossible to establish the true cause, so you should not make hasty conclusions. Maybe the thermostat is out of order or the air temperature in the room is high. In other situations, it is possible to suspect that the refrigerator began to cope poorly with its functions precisely because of a gas leak from the cooling system. To be sure of your guesses, you need to pay attention to some points and indirect signs. If at least one of them is present, then you need to call a specialist. Be that as it may, only an experienced craftsman who has the appropriate equipment and tool set at his disposal can cope with such a difficult task as finding the place of the leak and subsequent refueling of the unit.

Signs of freon leakage

Bad cooling. The gas leaves the cooling system gradually, so the problem with the temperature regime can grow like a snowball. At the same time, an increase in temperature will be noticed in one of the chambers, or in both at once. Adjusting the temperature does not give results, the cameras defrost. In two-compressor models, warming is possible only in one chamber, in single-compressor models, the temperature begins to acquire positive values in both chambers at the same time.

The compressor cycle is too long. When there is a leak of freon in the refrigerator, the compressor, in order to compensate for the lack of cooling, begins to work longer with short time intervals for a break. Working in such an emergency mode, its mechanism and components experience large loads, which may subsequently lead to breakdown. In this case, in order to start the household appliance again, it will be necessary not only to refuel the refrigerator with freon, but also to repair the motor-compressor, which is essentially the "heart" of the entire cooling system and performs the function of a pump that pushes gas under pressure through the capillary pipeline.

The compressor does not turn on, there is no cooling at all. This is characteristic of the last stage, when the refrigerant has already completely evaporated. The motor stops starting, and the chambers are at room temperature. The device starts to defrost. At this stage, only drying the system, sealing the leak and refilling the refrigerator with a new portion of freon will help. Without these procedures, the household appliance will not be able to work.

Special signals. A large number of more modern models and models with an information display begin to signal a malfunction when the temperature inside the cameras increases. Certain indicators light up red, flash or beep. Also, a certain error code appears on the display, which indicates a leak.

Visual inspection. The first thing you can do on your own if you suspect a leak is to inspect the cameras. If you found that a large layer of snow formed on the evaporator in a short period of time, the weeping evaporator swelled, you noticed traces of rust around the perimeter of the compartment, most likely, the leak lies in the evaporator body or the heating circuit.

If you do not know how to find a freon leak and what to do with a problem of this kind, then there is no question of any independent repair. You don't need to risk your equipment - it's better to entrust this difficult and responsible work to competent craftsmen who will carry out the necessary work in accordance with established safety standards.

Procedure

Search for the place of damage to the cooling system. First of all, the arriving specialist must visually inspect the household appliance for visible signs of freon leakage. It can be swollen walls, traces of rust, puncture of the evaporator, etc. Next, diagnostics of the pipeline and other areas is carried out with the help of a special professional device - a leak detector. It helps to reduce the time of diagnosis and more accurately determine the place where there is a leak.

Elimination of leakage. After the defective area has been detected, it is necessary to solder microcracks, clean, remove the rusted section of the pipeline, etc. Often, the refrigerator freon leak is localized in the foamed part of the household appliance, which complicates the work of the master. In order to carry out all the manipulations efficiently and return the cold to the refrigerator, it is necessary to partially or completely disassemble the case. In some cases, especially with old refrigerators, it is impractical and economically unprofitable to do this, so the decision must be made only by the user himself.

Check for tightness. For this, the system is filled with a certain amount of gas, and the master looks at the readings of the manometer and assesses how the pressure inside is maintained. If the soldering is done well and the tightness is not broken, then the gas mixture will not come out. The tonometer values will be kept at one value. After that, the gas is drained from the system, and the specialist moves on to the next stage.

Vacuuming. So that there are no extraneous impurities, moisture, etc. inside the system, the system is evacuated. To do this, a vacuum pump is connected to the Schroeder valve and the air is pumped out. At the same time, the specialist monitors the level and parameters of the vacuum.

Refueling the refrigerator. The penultimate stage is filling the circuit. Most household refrigerators use freon of a certain brand (depending on the model and manufacturer). Also, each manufacturer indicates the required amount of gas in the technical passport. Naturally, it may differ. Gas is filled through the Schroeder valve, which is connected to the gas cylinder. The amount of suspension is measured either by pressure indicators on a tonometer or by weight. Determining the gas filling level by weight, the cylinder is placed on a scale. Such accuracy is necessary for the normal operation of the unit and good cooling performance. An excess or lack of freon can affect cooling.

Testing. The final stage is a test run and checking how well the household appliance gets cold. This requires about 20-30 minutes to complete at least one on/off cycle of the compressor. If all the work is carried out qualitatively, there are no complaints, and correction is not necessary - the specialist issues a warranty card and a conclusion on the repair work.

Often, the search for a freon leak does not take much time. Time is required for drying, soldering and refueling the refrigerator. Naturally, it should be remembered that only an experienced and qualified mechanic will be able to perform the procedure not only much faster, but also better than an ordinary amateur. If you suspect a leak, please contact us for help!

What breakdowns require freon filling?
Damage to the capillary pipeline. Damage can be caused by mechanical impact, corrosion or as a result of poor-quality connections of the nozzles. At the same time, small cracks gradually form in the places of their soldering, due to which the gas leaves the cooling system.

Clogged nozzles. Due to the fact that the inner diameter of the pipe in some places can be only 1 mm, a blockage is formed, which prevents the passage of gas through the system. For this reason, the temperature in the refrigerator begins to rise, and the compressor works intermittently. To restore the working capacity of the household appliance, it is necessary to blow the capillary pipeline under high pressure and push out the plug. However, this is not a very efficient and effective method. The best solution, as long-term practice shows, is to replace the pipeline or its section that has roughness inside and the like. After that, refueling or refilling the refrigerator with freon is carried out.

Compressor failure. As a result of improper operation or due to other related malfunctions, the compressor fails. Most of them can be repaired, but sometimes it is not possible to restore the equipment without replacing it. To do this, it is necessary to remove the faulty motor-compressor, install and fasten a new one, connect the pipes and perform all the soldering of the connections of the capillary pipeline with the compressor.