Car ac evaporator

Evaporator is a part of the air conditioner where the cooling liquid is evaporated. In the evaporation process air is considerably cooled. In the process of heat exchange the coolant also heats up. Therefore, the coolant must then be cooled down again via the compressor and the condenser. After the flow, cooling liquid passes back into the evaporator. If you have found small pools under the vehicle, the reason is evaporator that overheats because of deactivated conditioner. This results in sweating. If the coolant leaks, there is a leakage.

If the evaporator malfunctions, air can not be properly cooled. If the air conditioner doesn’t provide set temperature or operates very slow, the problem is in evaporator leakage. Before dismantling, it is necessary to pour the coolant. As during the cooling circuit there is a pressure of several bars, the coolant can spit. After you pour off the coolant, you can replace the evaporator. However, the evaporator is often installed in hard to reach places, such as behind the dashboard.

Replacement of the evaporator should be done in a specialized repair shop, as the cost is rather high and a special filling unit to empty and fill in the air conditioner is required. In any case, it is necessary to test operating capacity and tightness before mounting the dash panel. Our online shop offers you a wide range of products. Here you can purchase camshaft, oil temperature sensor, clutch cable, cooling hoses, fuel tank, boot lid, fuel pump and many others. In our assortment there are many car parts for various car brands and models.

How to determine air-conditioner evaporator faults

The external condition of the component can help to define whether it is serviceable. The fins should not be soiled, however the slight dust layer is admissible. Also it is necessary to carry out diagnostics of the drainage tube. If the evaporator functions correctly, about one liter of condensed water has to be released per hour at the favorable weather.

The drainage system has the small thickness (only 1.5-2 mm) therefore it often gets clogged.  The system should be checked especially thoroughly in case if the air filter is damaged.

Besides, it is necessary to measure the temperature of the air that goes out of the component. It has to be 8–12 ° C. At such values the temperature of the coolant fluctuates in the range of 0-5 ° C.

Pathogenic microorganisms can grow on the evaporator fins. It is one of the most dangerous problems which can arise during the component operation. If there is an unpleasant smell or other signs of malfunctions in the passenger compartment, take preventive measures immediately: clean  the evaporator and the other elements of the air conditioning system  and treat them with chemical agents.

The evaporator is operated for five years on average. Incorrect operation of the air filter and inappropriate weather conditions can reduce this term considerably.

You may notice that the evaporator requires diagnostics by the following signs:

• high humidity level in the passenger compartment;
• windows become heavily misted during driving;
• bad smell in the compartment when the conditioner is operating;
• blower temperature can’t be regulated.

Causes of air-conditioner evaporator faults

One of the  most widespread malfunctions of the evaporator is corrosion, usually it appears due to soiling of the air-conditioning system. In course of time, it leads to appearance of through holes, which requires immediate intervention by specialists. Also the inner surface of the evaporator may deteriorate due to ingress of water or greasing material into the air-conditioning system piping line. Excessive dusting gives rise to drain pipe clogging, which results in significant cooling efficiency decrease.

Serviceability of the unit depends greatly on operability of the other air-conditioning system elements. For example, usage of the soiled cabin filters provokes failures in heat-exchanging processes, which eventually leads to damaging of the air-conditioner components. Worsening of the receiver-evaporator operational characteristics is fraught with increasing of moisture and compressor wear products concentration in freon, thus raising risk of corrosion and soiling. Hoses of the evaporator may freeze and crack because of malfunctions in operation of the thermoregulating valve. Moreover, not the entire amount of supplied coolant is turning into gas. Fault of the passenger compartment blower may lead to the same consequences. Excessive pressure caused by higher than normal amount of freon may also be destructive to the evaporator.

Repair and replacement of air-conditioner evaporator

Soiling of the drainage tube and the evaporator fins is the most widespread defect, that can be repaired. Special reagents are used to clean the surfaces and the drainage. However, if the parts were damaged as a result of mechanical effect, cleaning cannot be done. In this case, the mechanism is to be completely disassembled. Special equipment should be engaged if works with freon are being performed during repair.