What is an oil trap on an air conditioner? Why use oil traps for air conditioners?

When installing the air conditioner, sometimes the mechanic will ask you to install an oil trap for the unit. So what exactly is the term “air conditioner oil trap”? How does it work and its benefits? Let’s find out with Tnhelearning.edu.vn now!

What is an oil trap on an air conditioner? How does it work?

Normally, the outdoor unit will have a certain amount of oil for lubrication, usually located in the gas pipeline , in order to prevent oil from overflowing to the indoor unit.

The oil trap is a piece of copper pipe that is bent into two U-shapes in a row or two opposite U-shapes . People make an oil trap by taking a piece of copper pipe bending the return line (big pipe) installed between the outdoor unit and the indoor unit into a “duck neck” form.

Each time the oil is deposited in the duck neck, it will seal the suction line, at this time the compressor will focus all its power and easily suck the oil back. Every 3m, we will bend one.

It can be seen that the installation of an oil trap is very important in ensuring the safe operation of the air conditioner. Sometimes workers can install many oil traps in cases where the terrain does not allow and must install the outdoor unit 3m higher than the indoor unit.

Why use oil traps for air conditioners?

Normally, when installing an air conditioner, the cold unit must be higher than the hot unit to be considered technically correct. However, if the terrain does not allow such installation, it is mandatory for the mechanic to install an oil trap system for the machine.

If not installed, it may cause oil to follow the gas line to overflow into the indoor unit, leading to oil stagnation in the refrigerant unit, poor cooling ability, lack of lubricating oil in the outdoor unit, slow or worse. affect the life of the air conditioner.

How to make an oil trap for an air conditioner

Installing an oil trap is not an easy thing to do. Therefore, you should hire a reputable, experienced electrician to ensure quality and safety during use. However, you can also refer to the steps to install the oil trap as follows:

• Step 1: When making an oil trap, the worker will bend the gas pipe (big pipe) into an inverted U shape so that it is higher than the air conditioner heater.
• Step 2: Install test and flare the pipe to match, install the gas pipe into the gable of the heater.

Some notes when installing oil traps on air conditioners

To install the oil trap to its proper use, you should note the following:

• You need to add at least 1m copper pipe during installation.
• Refrigerant pressure and oil can be separated from the machine causing oil loss. The compressor will fail if the lubricating oil is low.
• With small, short pipes, the oil will return to the compressor in a short time and condense less. But when the distance is long, it is necessary to add oil and install an oil separator so that it does not travel far, causing oil to accumulate on pipes and equipment, increasing resistance.

Above is information about the air conditioner oil trap and why it should be installed that Tnhelearning.edu.vn shares with you. If you have any questions, please leave your information below the article.