Connecting the air conditioner: electrical diagram and instructions

Connecting an air conditioner is a rather complex process that is best left to specially trained people. But cases there are different ones. Sometimes there are such hopeless situations that you have to take everything into your own hands.

It's no secret that air conditioning is one of the most popular devices in the summer, which is used everywhere:

• in offices,
• in apartments,
• in private homes,
• at enterprises.

In this regard, there is a difference in connection, because air conditioners for private use are usually connected to a single-phase network, while industrial and semi-industrial air conditioners are often connected to a three-phase network. Today we will not analyze the connection of industrial and semi-industrial air conditioners, since this is the topic of a separate article, but we will look at how to connect an air conditioner for private use.

Air conditioner connection

Connecting an air conditioner to a private household network is a process that does not forgive mistakes. If you decide to do it yourself, then be prepared for unhurried, careful, calculating work. The bottom line is that if you do something wrong, then you risk losing an expensive device or more worse - putting out the fire on the wiring.

The first thing to remember: air conditioners are different, so connecting your specific air conditioner must be strictly according to his scheme connections. Usually, the documentation for devices always contains a connection diagram, plus manufacturers additionally put it on the covers of the internal and external modules. Carefully study the existing scheme and only then proceed to action.

Preparing to connect the air conditioner

We have already found out that the first thing you need to do is study the existing connection diagram in the documentation or on the air conditioner itself. Next, you need to make sure that you have all the necessary tools available. Usually this:

• impact drill or hammer drill to drill walls for dowels;
• screwdrivers of different sizes;
• pliers;
• frame for mounting the air conditioner;
• consumables: dowels, electrical tape, screws, ties, clamps, etc.

The list of tools may vary. It depends on the air conditioner model and its connection type. You choose the connection type yourself, it can be as follows:

1. Connecting to electrical outletse. This is the simplest option. In this case, you need to connect the outlet to the location where the air conditioner is installed.
2. Connecting to the electrical network, bypassing the outlet. This option is more complicated, as it requires a lot of preparatory work. Its essence is that a separate electrical line from the distribution panel leads to the air conditioner. A separate switch is identified in the panel for the air conditioner.

Both connection methods are good if organized correctly. No matter how you connect, you need to remember one important thing: the air conditioner must have its own electrical line. The fact is that air conditioners are powerful devices.Therefore, if you connect the air conditioner to an electrical line that is already connected to something, there is a risk that the electrical wiring will not hold up and a fire will result. Of course, this is a conditional recommendation, because if you laid the wiring yourself, you could lay an electrical cable with a high load potential and then it would not be afraid of overloads.

In general, in the preparatory part you must think through and prepare the electrical wiring and check the availability of the necessary tools.

Air conditioner connection: indoor and outdoor unit

To connect the air conditioner you will need two pieces of wire:

• one for connecting the external and internal units;
• one for connecting the indoor unit to the mains.

Connection of the internal and external units of air conditioners occurs according to the diagrams indicated in documents. There you will also find recommendations for wire cross-section. The wire itself is laid together with the freon pipes. We will tell you how to properly lay a freon line in the following articles.

A fairly common diagram for connecting air conditioner units looks like this:

We think you not difficult Guess that to connect two blocks, the electrical wire must not be damaged, so it is better to buy a new one. Also, both sides of the wire will need to be stripped of insulation. When connecting wires, try not to mix up the terminals and wire colors. Let us remind you that:

• N – aka “zero”, this is a wire in a blue braid;
• L – aka “phase”, this wire can be brown, black, red, etc.;
• “grounding” is always a two-color yellow-green wire.

It is important to understand that even if you mixed up the colors of the wire and, for example, connected the blue wire to L (phase), then this rule must be followed on the external and internal units. That is, regardless of the color of the wire, L must be connected to L, N to N, and ground to ground. If you get it wrong, then there is a risk that your air conditioner will “burn out” and will definitely not work.

Connecting the air conditioner to the network

Typically, most air conditioners are connected to a regular household outlet.e, so you shouldn't have any problems with this. If your home has already been renovated, then you can connect the air conditioner to the nearest outlet, but it is better to allocate a separate one for it. But even here, not everything is so simple. It is important to read the manufacturer's recommendations because chances are you purchased a powerful air conditioner because you have a large home. Such air conditioners strictly require a separate line. Then it doesn’t matter whether you have a repair or not – you need to draw a separate line.

Remember that a separate line for the air conditioner and a separate machine are the key to your safety. Therefore, it is better to do everything correctly once, so as not to “bite your elbows” later. You shouldn’t rely on “maybe”, as this is fraught with big consequences. The minimum that can happen is a breakdown of the air conditioner, but in general the risk of fire in your home increases.

Conclusion

Connecting an air conditioner is not an easy task, but if your hands are in the right place, then there will be no problems with this. It is important to understand that the best connection diagram for your particular air conditioner is in its documentation, so before studying online resources, study it first.