Air conditioning is an ordinary thing in the office and in the living room. Sometimes during operation there are sounds that should not be during normal operation. This worries the owners. One of these phenomena is the gurgle in the air conditioner. Sound does not always mean that a breakdown has occurred, but the problem cannot be ignored. Many problems can be solved independently; serious malfunctions require contacting a service center.
Possible causes of extraneous sounds
First of all, it is necessary to determine the cause of the noise, find out whether it can negatively affect the operation of all equipment or whether the air conditioner is operating normally.
Sounds made by the air conditioner are divided into safe, which do not affect its performance, and dangerous, after which it is necessary to take measures to eliminate them.
Safe sounds include crackling and creaking of the case during operation, the murmur of water after turning off. Squeaking occurs when the temperature of the working unit changes, since the plastic expands or contracts slightly. This is the usual physical property of any substance. The sound of dripping water appears when the air conditioner is turned off, when the refrigerant flows to the lower point of the cooling circuit.
More attention should be paid to clicks or a sharp change in the noise level during operation. This indicates a malfunction in the electronics, compressor or engine. If such sounds occur, you should immediately contact the nearest service center in order to localize a possible breakdown in time.
A fully functional air conditioner operates at a level of 22-28 dB noise. This sound comes from the moving parts of the fan and compressor, which pump air. The noise level is strongly influenced by the build quality of the device itself, as well as the parts used. In most cases, air conditioners of any manufacturer fit into the specified framework.
Typically, air conditioning makes gurgling sounds in the winter when it works to heat a room. In this case, an extraneous sound can be noticed even when the device is turned off.
There are two main causes of gurgling sound:
- incorrect operation of the drainage system;
- air cooling system (freon leak).
The air conditioner can also gurgle during switching on and off. The compressor accelerates freon through the system when it is turned on, or the movement slows down after shutdown. Usually such a sound is heard for 5-10 minutes. This is considered the norm in the operation of inverter air conditioners.
Noise drainage system
If extraneous sounds occur when the split system is turned off, this clearly indicates an incorrect installation of the drainage to drain the condensate. The air conditioner gurgles in strong winds that blow into tubes. If the mounting angle is incorrect, not all moisture is removed from the system, therefore, bubbles appear under air pressure, and, as a result, a “gurgling” sound in the air conditioner. A water shutter may also occur, which will interfere with the drainage of fluid.
The phenomenon occurs if the drainage pipes are not led outside, but into the sewer system without a siphon. In this case, gurgling happens when the split system is off. Sound can be transmitted directly from the sewer system or water shutter.
Improper location of drainage pipes to drain condensate both to the street and to the sewer system is a possible cause of an unpleasant sound, but it is not often common.This is due to the fact that condensate can be formed only in warm time when the air conditioner is working to cool the room. When heated, this is excluded. The main cause of noise in the winter is air cooling.
Freon contour disorder
When working on heating a room using an air conditioner, the evaporator and condenser change their purpose. The freon pumped into the system enters the evaporator in a liquid state. Here it condenses and heats up very much, up to a temperature of 60-80 degrees. The compressor drives warm air and warms the room. This is a reverse cooling process in which the formation of a liquid from a gas occurs directly in the condenser unit.
From the evaporator, the liquid freon enters the outdoor unit, and this liquid can “gurgle”. The design, in which the processes of evaporation and further condensation of freon occur, is completely isolated. If the air conditioner is in working condition, this phenomenon is in principle impossible.
Freon circulates in copper tubes, which are sometimes damaged during installation, which violates the integrity of the system and leads to leakage of the refrigerant, its partial replacement by atmospheric air or moisture. Due to the different compression densities of substances that enter the system, gurgling sounds arise.
Other causes of noise
There are several indirect reasons that lead to the fact that the air conditioner gurgles in the off state in winter.
Freon is a gas that very easily changes its state of aggregation: it turns from gas to liquid and vice versa. In winter, due to the temperature difference in the street and indoors, it circulates. At colder temperatures, the gas is cooled and pushed out by a liquid with a higher density. With this movement, a characteristic gurgling sound may occur. The same noise can be heard by observing the operation of the refrigerator, the principle of operation of which is similar to the principle of functioning of the air conditioner.
Air conditioners that perform the function of heating the air have a built-in option to defrost the outdoor unit. At the same time, electric heaters are periodically turned on so that ice melts on the heat exchanger. Associated noises, clicks, and sometimes gurgling occur. This sound should not be feared, since water dripping onto a pallet will in no way affect the performance of the unit.
In the warm season, noise can cause insects, which sometimes equip their homes inside various parts of the split system. Ants or cockroaches can create entire colonies, whose vital activity resembles a gurgle. It is rather difficult to distinguish this sound from a mechanical one by ear, especially not to a specialist.
Troubleshooting
If the problem is not in the integrity of the Freon circuit, you can try to solve it yourself without the help of specialists. First of all, check the inclination angles of the drainage tubes. The water drainage system is positioned so that the liquid drains along it by gravity. Bend angles should not be more than 90 degrees. In theory, the sharper the angle, the better.
Tubes that are damaged are replaced, and the bends are straightened to acceptable angles. If necessary, the condensate drain pipe can be extended and positioned as close to the ground as possible. In this way, the problem of wind entering the fluid drainage system is solved. It is advisable to clean the filters of the indoor unit, as well as the drain pan, as extraneous sounds can also be generated there.
If during installation the drainage system is discharged into the sewer, check whether the pipe is connected through a special siphon for the air conditioner. If not, acquiring a siphon will eliminate unnecessary noise from the sewer and gurgle.
In those cases where the above actions did not lead to the desired result, it is necessary to seek the help of specialists.The service center masters will be able to check the tightness of the Freon circuit and, if necessary, refuel with refrigerant.
If the problem is not resolved in time, further operation will lead to breakdown of the air conditioner, and repairs are much more expensive than the localization of the malfunction.
It is recommended to carry out scheduled maintenance, which in most cases will be able to identify a malfunction at the initial stage and localize it. Self-diagnosis is performed at least three times a year. In the summer, when the air conditioner works almost without turning off, maintenance is carried out once or twice a month. Maintenance of the indoor unit can be done on its own, just wash the filters with warm water and soap. The outdoor unit should be periodically cleaned of large debris.
It is important to adhere to the operating rules and prepare the air conditioner in advance for operation in hot or cold seasons. Do not turn on equipment when outdoor temperatures are below acceptable levels.
Preventive measures will allow you to operate the split system for many years, and it, in turn, will create comfortable living conditions for its owners. In case of any malfunction of the equipment, it is impossible to postpone the diagnosis or repair, because this leads to additional costs.
