Installation method for air conditioner

Abstract

Provided is an installation method for an air conditioner including an outdoor unit 10, an indoor unit 20, refrigerant piping having connection pipes 40, 41 connecting the outdoor unit 10 and the indoor unit 20, and a shut-off valve unit 30 having shut-off valves 31, 32 that are closed when de-energized to shut off the flow of a refrigerant in the connection pipes, the installation method comprising: a wiring energization step for energizing the shut-off valves 31, 32 while keeping at least one of the outdoor unit 10 and the indoor unit 20 de-energized; and a vacuum evacuation step ST4 for evacuating air from the refrigerant piping by vacuum evacuation after the wiring energization step.

Description

Method for installing an air conditioner

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a method for installing an air conditioner.

[0002] In installation work of an air conditioner, evacuation is performed to discharge air from a refrigerant pipe. Patent Document 1 discloses an air conditioner including a control device that executes an installation mode in which, when a specific operation including an operation of turning on a power breaker that supplies power to the air conditioner is performed, a shutoff valve is opened and an operation instruction to a compressor is invalidated. Accordingly, by executing the installation mode during evacuation, it is possible to prevent the operation of the air conditioner from being started by a remote controller or the like, and to prevent air from entering the compressor.

[0003] Japanese Patent No. 7204892

[0004] However, as described above, when preventing erroneous operation of the air conditioner during evacuation, a control device capable of executing the installation mode is required, which increases the manufacturing cost of the air conditioner. Therefore, there is a demand for a method for installing an air conditioner that can prevent erroneous operation during evacuation even in an air conditioner not provided with the above control device.

[0005] An object of the present disclosure is to provide a method for installing an air conditioner that can prevent erroneous operation of the air conditioner during evacuation.

[0006] A method for installing an air conditioner according to the present disclosure is a method for installing an air conditioner comprising: an outdoor unit; an indoor unit; a refrigerant pipe having a connection pipe connecting the outdoor unit and the indoor unit; and a shutoff valve unit having a shutoff valve that is in a closed state when not energized and shuts off the flow of refrigerant in the connection pipe, the method comprising: a wiring energization step of bringing the shutoff valve into an energized state, and bringing at least one of the outdoor unit and the indoor unit into a non-energized state; and an evacuation step of discharging air in the refrigerant pipe by evacuation after the wiring energization step.

[0007] A diagram showing the configuration of an air conditioner according to one embodiment. A cross-sectional diagram showing the shut-off valve unit of the air conditioner according to the same embodiment. A flowchart showing the installation method of the air conditioner according to the same embodiment. A diagram showing the configuration of an air conditioner according to another embodiment. A diagram showing another installation method of the air conditioner according to one embodiment. A diagram showing the configuration of an air conditioner according to another embodiment.

[0008] (Air Conditioner) An embodiment of the air conditioner of this disclosure will be described with reference to Figure 1. Note that the dimensional ratios in the drawings do not necessarily match the actual dimensional ratios. Also, the dimensional ratios between the drawings do not necessarily match. Figure 1 is a diagram showing the configuration of an air conditioner according to one embodiment. An air conditioner is, for example, a room air conditioner, a packaged air conditioner, or a multi-split air conditioner for a building.

[0009] As shown in Figure 1, the air conditioner comprises an outdoor unit 10, an indoor unit 20, refrigerant piping having connecting pipes 40 and 41, and a shut-off valve unit 30 having shut-off valves 31 and 32 provided on the connecting pipes 40 and 41. Power is supplied to the outdoor unit 10, the indoor unit 20, and the shut-off valves 31 and 32 from the commercial power supply EP via a power breaker BK.

[0010] The outdoor unit 10 includes a compressor 1, a four-way valve 2, an outdoor heat exchanger 3, a fan 4, an expansion valve 5, and a gas pipe valve and a liquid pipe valve (not shown). The gas pipe valve and liquid pipe valve are valves that open and close connecting pipes 40 and 41. The indoor unit 20 includes an indoor heat exchanger 21, a once-through fan 22, and a refrigerant leak sensor 23.

[0011] The outdoor unit 10 and the indoor unit 20 are connected by connecting pipes (gas-side connecting pipe 40 and liquid-side connecting pipe 41). Specifically, the gas pipe valve of the outdoor unit 10 and the indoor heat exchanger 21 of the indoor unit 20 are connected by the gas-side connecting pipe 40, and the liquid pipe valve of the outdoor unit 10 and the indoor heat exchanger 21 of the indoor unit 20 are connected by the liquid-side connecting pipe 41.

[0012] The shut-off valves 31 and 32 are valves that shut off the flow of refrigerant in the connecting pipes 40 and 41 in the event of a refrigerant leak. The shut-off valves 31 and 32 are valves that are closed when not energized and open when energized. The shut-off valves 31 and 32 are, for example, solenoid valves.

[0013] The shut-off valves 31 and 32 may be valves that shut off the flow of refrigerant in both directions, or valves that shut off the flow of refrigerant in only one direction. Figure 1 illustrates a valve that shuts off the flow of refrigerant in both directions. Of the shut-off valves 31 and 32, the gas-side shut-off valve 31 is provided in the gas-side connecting pipe 40, and the liquid-side shut-off valve 32 is provided in the liquid-side connecting pipe 41.

[0014] It is preferable that the air conditioner is equipped with a changeover switch 33 for switching the opening and closing of the shut-off valves 31 and 32. The changeover switch 33 is a manual switch installed between the shut-off valves 31 and 32 and the power breaker. This makes it easier to switch the opening and closing of the shut-off valves 31 and 32, improving the ease of installation of the air conditioner.

[0015] When the changeover switch 33 is ON, it forces the shut-off valves 31 and 32 into an open state, and when it is OFF, it closes the shut-off valves 31 and 32. When the changeover switch 33 is ON, it is possible to open the shut-off valves 31 and 32 even without an open command signal from the indoor unit 20 to the shut-off valves 31 and 32. When the changeover switch 33 is OFF, it is also possible to open the shut-off valves 31 and 32 by energizing the shut-off valves 31 and 32 and by an open command signal from the indoor unit 20 to the shut-off valves 31 and 32.

[0016] The changeover switch 33 may be, for example, a slide switch, a toggle switch, or a rocker switch. Note that the air conditioner may be configured without a changeover switch 33. The changeover switch 33 may be provided for each shut-off valve 31, 32, or for each shut-off valve unit 30, which will be described later.

[0017] The shut-off valve unit 30 is separate from the indoor unit 20 and the outdoor unit 10, and is installed, for example, in the ceiling space of the room where the indoor unit 20 is installed, or outside (outside the outdoor unit 10). A refrigerant leak sensor may be provided inside the shut-off valve unit 30. The air conditioner may also be configured to have only shut-off valves 31 and 32, without the shut-off valve unit 30.

[0018] Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view showing the shut-off valve unit 30. In Figure 2, the shut-off valves 31 and 32 are omitted from the illustration. As shown in Figure 2, the shut-off valve unit 30 consists of a housing 301 that houses the shut-off valves 31 and 32 (see Figure 1) and the changeover switch 33, and a cover 302 that can be attached to the housing 301. The cover 302 is attached to the housing 301, for example, with screws.

[0019] The cover 302 preferably includes a contact portion 303 that contacts the switch portion 331 of the changeover switch 33 when the switch portion 331 is in the ON position P1 (thin line), which forces the shut-off valves 31 and 32 into an open state (energized state). This allows the operator to recognize that the shut-off valves 31 and 32 are in a forced-open state when the contact portion 303 contacts the changeover switch 33, thereby preventing the operator from forgetting to turn off the forced-open state of the shut-off valves 31 and 32 after vacuuming. In other words, it prevents the operator from forgetting to return the changeover switch 33 from the ON position P1 to the OFF position P2.

[0020] The contact portion 303 is, for example, a projection provided on the lid 302, and does not make contact with the switch portion 331 when the switch portion 331 is in the off position P2. Preferably, the contact portion 303 is configured such that when it comes into contact with the changeover switch 33, the lid 302 cannot be attached to the housing 301 (for example, the screw holes do not align). This makes it easier for the operator to recognize that the shut-off valves 31 and 32 are in the open state, and further reduces the likelihood of the operator forgetting to turn off the forced open state of the shut-off valves 31 and 32 after vacuuming.

[0021] The air conditioner is equipped with a control device (not shown) that controls the entire air conditioner. The control device is located inside the outdoor unit 10 shown in Figure 1 and is composed of, for example, a microprocessor unit. The control device controls the compressor 1, the four-way valve 2, the fan 4, and the shut-off valves 31 and 32, and performs heating and cooling operations by switching the four-way valve 2.

[0022] The control device controls the shut-off valves 31 and 32 based on the leak signal from the refrigerant leak sensor 23 (or a refrigerant leak sensor installed in the shut-off valve unit 30). The air conditioner is configured so that the control device can control the opening and closing of the shut-off valves 31 and 32 when the switch portion 331 of the changeover switch 33 is in the off position P2.

[0023] During normal operation, the power breaker BK is on, the air conditioner is powered on, and the gas pipe valve, liquid pipe valve, gas-side shut-off valve 31, and liquid-side shut-off valve 32 are all open.

[0024] The operation during heating operation will now be explained. The control device switches the four-way valve 2 to the solid line side in Figure 1 during heating operation.

[0025] As shown in Figure 1, the high-temperature, high-pressure gaseous refrigerant discharged from the compressor 1 flows into the indoor heat exchanger 21 through the four-way valve 2, the gas pipe valve, and the gas-side shut-off valve 31. The incoming refrigerant liquefies in the indoor heat exchanger 21 by releasing heat into the indoor air. The liquefied refrigerant passes through the liquid-side shut-off valve 32 and the liquid pipe valve, and is then depressurized by the expansion valve 5, which is controlled to an appropriate opening, becoming a gas-liquid two-phase state, and flows into the outdoor heat exchanger 3. The incoming refrigerant exchanges heat with the outdoor air in the outdoor heat exchanger 3, absorbs heat, and gasifies, and is returned to the compressor 1. Heating operation is performed by the circulation of the refrigerant through the refrigerant circuit as described above.

[0026] The operation during cooling operation will be explained. The control device switches the four-way valve 2 to the dashed line side in Figure 1 during cooling operation.

[0027] The high-temperature, high-pressure gaseous refrigerant discharged from the compressor 1 flows through the four-way valve 2 into the outdoor heat exchanger 3. The incoming refrigerant exchanges heat with the outdoor air in the outdoor heat exchanger 3, liquefying as it releases heat. The liquefied refrigerant is depressurized by the expansion valve 5, which is adjusted to an appropriate opening, becoming a gas-liquid two-phase state. After passing through the liquid pipe valve and the liquid-side shut-off valve 32, it flows into the indoor heat exchanger 21. The incoming refrigerant gasifies in the indoor heat exchanger 21 by absorbing heat from the indoor air. The gasified refrigerant passes through the gas-side shut-off valve 31 and the gas pipe valve before being returned to the compressor 1. Cooling operation is performed as the refrigerant circulates through the refrigerant circuit in this manner.

[0028] When a refrigerant leak occurs, a refrigerant leak sensor 23 (or a refrigerant leak sensor installed in the shut-off valve unit 30) located in the indoor unit 20 detects the leak, and a refrigerant leak signal is sent to the control device of the outdoor unit 10. Upon receiving the refrigerant leak signal, the control device stops the compressor 1 and simultaneously closes the shut-off valves 31 and 32. This seals the refrigerant within the outdoor unit 10, preventing it from flowing out to the indoor unit 20 and reducing the amount of refrigerant leaked into the living space.

[0029] The control device can also perform forced operation stop control, which forcibly stops each operation, and forced opening control, which opens the shut-off valves 31 and 32 based on a signal from the outdoor unit 10. Furthermore, by releasing the forced operation stop control, the control device also releases the forced opening control.

[0030] (Installation Method of Air Conditioner) Next, an installation method of an air conditioner according to one embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 1 and 3. Figure 3 is a flowchart showing an installation method of an air conditioner according to one embodiment.

[0031] As shown in Figures 1 and 3, first, the indoor unit 20, outdoor unit 10, and shut-off valve unit 30 are installed in their predetermined positions, and the refrigerant pipes (connecting pipes 40, 41) are connected (installation step ST1). Then, at least the power breaker BK and the shut-off valve unit 30 (its shut-off valves 31, 32) are connected with wiring such as F-cables (first wiring step ST2). In the first wiring step ST2, the power breaker BK and the outdoor unit 10 and / or indoor unit 20 are left unconnected. In Figure 1, an example is shown where the power breaker BK, shut-off valve unit 30, and outdoor unit 10 are connected as shown by the solid line, and the power breaker BK and indoor unit 20 are left unconnected as shown by the dashed line.

[0032] Next, the power breaker BK is turned on, the shut-off valves 31 and 32 are energized (open), and at least one of the outdoor unit 10 and the indoor unit 20 is de-energized (energization step ST3). "De-energizing" means switching from an energized state to a de-energized state and maintaining the de-energized state, or maintaining the de-energized state. Figure 1 shows an example in which the shut-off valve unit 30 and the outdoor unit 10 are energized, and the indoor unit 20 is de-energized.

[0033] The first wiring process ST2 and the energizing process ST3 are collectively referred to as the wiring and energizing process. If the air conditioner is equipped with a changeover switch 33, the installation method of the air conditioner includes a step of operating the changeover switch 33 to open the shutoff valves 31 and 32 after the wiring and energizing process (first wiring process ST2 + energizing process ST3) and before the vacuuming process ST4 described later.

[0034] Next, a vacuum pump is connected to the charge port of the liquid pipe valve or the charge port of the gas pipe valve to perform vacuuming, which involves removing air from the refrigerant piping (vacuuming process ST4). By this method, by performing vacuuming with at least one of the outdoor unit 10 and the indoor unit 20 de-energized, it is possible to prevent the compressor 1 from operating during vacuuming. This is because if the outdoor unit 10 is de-energized, the compressor 1 will not operate, and if the indoor unit 20 is de-energized, the compressor 1 will not operate because it cannot receive operation commands from the remote control. This prevents the air conditioner from malfunctioning during vacuuming, even if an operation command is mistakenly transmitted from the remote control. Furthermore, proper vacuuming can be performed, preventing air from entering the compressor 1 and causing damage. In addition, it is possible to perform wiring and installation work for the air conditioner at the same time as vacuuming, which shortens the installation time.

[0035] Next, the liquid pipe valve and gas pipe valve are opened to fill the entire refrigerant piping with refrigerant (refrigerant filling step ST5). In refrigerant filling step ST5, it is preferable to check for refrigerant gas leakage.

[0036] Next, the power breaker BK is turned off, the shut-off valves 31 and 32 are set to a de-energized (closed) state, and the outdoor unit 10 and indoor unit 20 are also set to a de-energized state (de-energization step ST6). If the air conditioner is equipped with a changeover switch 33, the de-energization step ST6 includes the step of operating the changeover switch 33 (returning it from the ON position P1 (see Figure 2) to the OFF position P2) and switching the shut-off valves 31 and 32 to the closed state.

[0037] The installation method for the air conditioner preferably includes a lid-closing step ST7 after the non-energizing step ST6, in which the lid 302 (see Figure 2) of the housing 301 containing the changeover switch 33 is closed. This allows the worker to recognize that the shut-off valves 31 and 32 are in the open state when the contact portion 303 comes into contact with the changeover switch 33, thereby preventing the worker from forgetting to turn off the forced open state of the shut-off valves 31 and 32 after vacuuming.

[0038] Next, the outdoor unit 10 and / or indoor unit 20, which were left unconnected in the first wiring step ST2, are connected to the power breaker BK using wiring such as F-cables (second wiring step ST8). Then, the power breaker BK is turned on to make the air conditioner operational, and a test run is performed (test run step ST9).

[0039] (Modification) (A) Figure 1 shows an example where the shut-off valves 31 and 32 are valves that shut off the flow of refrigerant in both directions, but the design is not limited to this. For example, as shown in Figure 4, the shut-off valves 31 and 32 may be valves that shut off the flow of refrigerant in only one direction. The air conditioner shown in Figure 4 is a multi-split air conditioner for buildings, in which multiple indoor units 20a and 20b are connected to one outdoor unit 10.

[0040] The air conditioner illustrated in Figure 4 is provided with two gas-side shut-off valves 31a, 31b and two liquid-side shut-off valves 32a, 32b for each indoor unit 20. The shut-off valves 31a to 32b and the check valves 34a to 34d, which will be described later, are housed in shut-off valve units 30a and 30b, respectively.

[0041] The gas-side shut-off valves 31a and 31b are each installed in parallel on the gas-side connecting pipe 40. A check valve 34a is provided on the outdoor unit 10 side of the gas-side shut-off valve 31a to prevent the flow of refrigerant to the indoor unit 20 side, and a check valve 34b is provided on the indoor unit 20 side of the gas-side shut-off valve 31b to prevent the flow of refrigerant to the outdoor unit 10 side. During heating operation, refrigerant flows through the gas-side shut-off valve 31b, and during cooling operation, refrigerant flows through the gas-side shut-off valve 31a.

[0042] The liquid-side shut-off valves 32a and 32b are each installed in parallel on the liquid-side connecting pipe 41. A check valve 34c is provided on the outdoor unit 10 side of the liquid-side shut-off valve 32a to prevent refrigerant from flowing to the indoor unit 20 side, and a check valve 34d is provided on the indoor unit 20 side of the liquid-side shut-off valve 32b to prevent refrigerant from flowing to the outdoor unit 10 side. During heating operation, refrigerant flows through the liquid-side shut-off valve 32a, and during cooling operation, refrigerant flows through the liquid-side shut-off valve 32b.

[0043] In such an example of the installation method for an air conditioner, in the first wiring step ST2, the power breaker and the shutoff valves 31a to 32b are placed in a connected state, and the power breaker and the outdoor unit 10 and / or the indoor units 20a, 20b are placed in a disconnected state. Then, at least the shutoff valves 31a to 32b are placed in an energized state (open state), and the evacuation step ST4 is performed. In the illustration of Fig. 4, the shutoff valves 31a to 32b are placed in an energized state, and the outdoor unit 10 and the indoor units 20a, 20b are placed in a non-energized state.

[0044] (B) In Fig. 1, the power breaker BK, the shutoff valve unit 30 and the outdoor unit 10 are placed in a connected state (energized state), and the power breaker BK and the indoor unit 20 are placed in a disconnected state (non-energized state), but the present invention is not limited thereto. For example, as shown in Fig. 5, the power breaker BK, the shutoff valve unit 30 and the indoor unit 20 may be placed in a connected state (energized state: solid line), and the power breaker BK and the outdoor unit 10 may be placed in a disconnected state (non-energized state: broken line).

[0045] (C) In the above embodiment, the outdoor unit 10, the indoor unit 20, and the shutoff valves 31, 32 are each connected to the same power breaker BK, but the present invention is not limited thereto. For example, as shown in Fig. 6, the shutoff valves 31, 32 may be connected to a power breaker BK2 different from the power breaker BK1 connected to the outdoor unit 10 and the indoor unit 20. In such an example, power is supplied to the outdoor unit 10 and the indoor unit 20 from a commercial power supply EP1 via the power breaker BK1, and power is supplied to the shutoff valves 31, 32 from a commercial power supply EP2 via the power breaker BK2.

[0046] In such an example, in the first wiring step ST2, the power breaker BK1 and the shutoff valves 31, 32 are placed in a connected state, and the power breaker BK2 and the outdoor unit 10 and / or the indoor unit 20 are placed in a disconnected state. Then, at least the shutoff valves 31, 32 are placed in an energized state (open state), and the evacuation step ST4 is performed. In the illustration of Fig. 6, the shutoff valves 31a to 32b are placed in an energized state, and the outdoor unit 10 and the indoor units 20a, 20b are placed in a non-energized state.

[0047] (D) In the above embodiment, the shut-off valves 31, 32 and the changeover switch 33 are provided in the shut-off valve unit 30, but the present invention is not limited thereto. For example, the shut-off valves 31, 32 and the changeover switch 33 may be provided in the outdoor unit 10 or the indoor unit 20.

[0048] In such an example, in the first wiring step ST2, the power breaker BK is connected to the unit provided with the shut-off valves 31 and 32, and the power breaker is not connected to the unit not provided with the shut-off valves. Then, one of the outdoor unit 10 and the indoor unit 20 is energized, and the evacuation step ST4 is performed.

[0049] (E) In the above embodiment, the contact portion 303 is configured such that the lid 302 cannot be attached to the housing 301 when the contact portion 303 is in contact with the changeover switch 33, but the present invention is not limited thereto. For example, the contact portion 303 may be configured to switch the switch portion 331 from the on-position P1 to the off-position P2 when the contact portion 303 comes into contact with the switch portion 331. For example, there may be a configuration in which the contact portion 303 is provided with an inclined portion that slides the switch portion 331 when the inclined portion comes into contact with the switch portion 331, or a configuration in which the changeover switch 33 is a rocker switch.

[0050] (F) The air conditioner according to the above embodiment may be configured to include a notification unit that notifies that the changeover switch 33 is at the on-position P1 when the shut-off valves 31 and 32 are opened by the changeover switch 33 and an operation command for the air conditioner is received. The control device performs control to give notification via the notification unit and not to start the operation of the air conditioner. According to this configuration, it is possible to notify an operator of forgetting to switch the changeover switch 33 to the off-position P2 after evacuation. The notification unit performs notification by, for example, lighting or blinking a lamp such as an LED, outputting sound from a speaker, or displaying information on a remote control screen.

[0051] [1] As described above, the method for installing an air conditioner comprises an outdoor unit 10, an indoor unit 20, refrigerant piping having connecting pipes 40, 41 that connect the outdoor unit 10 and the indoor unit 20, and a shut-off valve unit 30 having shut-off valves 31, 32 that are closed when not energized and block the flow of refrigerant in the connecting pipes 40, 41, and includes a wiring energization step of energizing the shut-off valves 31, 32 and keeping at least one of the outdoor unit 10 and the indoor unit 20 unenergized, and a vacuuming step ST4 of discharging the air in the refrigerant piping by vacuuming after the wiring energization step.

[0052] According to this method, by performing vacuuming with at least one of the outdoor unit 10 and the indoor unit 20 de-energized, it is possible to prevent the compressor 1 from operating during vacuuming. This prevents the air conditioner from malfunctioning during vacuuming, even if an operation command is mistakenly transmitted from a remote control or the like.

[0053] [2] In the air conditioner installation method described in [1] above, it is preferable that in the wiring energization process, the shut-off valve unit 30 is connected to the power breaker BK via the indoor unit 20 or the outdoor unit 10.

[0054] [3] Furthermore, the method of installing the air conditioner described in [1] above preferably includes a step of operating a changeover switch 33 to switch the opening and closing of the shut-off valves 31 and 32 after the wiring energization step and before the vacuuming step ST4, thereby opening the shut-off valves 31 and 32.

[0055] This method facilitates switching the shut-off valves 31 and 32 on and off, improving the ease of installation of the air conditioner.

[0056] [4] In addition, in the method of installing the air conditioner described in [3] above, it is preferable that the method includes a lid closing step ST7 in which the lid 302 of the housing 301 in which the changeover switch 33 is housed is closed after the vacuuming step ST4, and the lid 302 is provided with a contact portion 303 that contacts the switch portion 331 when the switch portion 331 of the changeover switch 33 is in a position that opens the shut-off valves 31 and 32.

[0057] According to this method, the contact portion 303 contacts the changeover switch 33, which makes the operator aware that the shut-off valves 31 and 32 are in the open state, thus preventing the operator from forgetting to turn off the forced open state of the shut-off valves 31 and 32 after vacuuming.

[0058] [5] The method of installing the air conditioner described in [3] or [4] above may also include a step of notifying when the shut-off valves 31 and 32 are in the open state by the changeover switch 33 and an operation command is received for the air conditioner.

[0059] This method allows the operator to be notified if they forget to switch the changeover switch 33 to the off position P2 after vacuuming.

[0060] [6] An installation method for an air conditioner comprising an outdoor unit 10, an indoor unit 20, refrigerant piping having connecting pipes 40, 41 connecting the outdoor unit 10 and the indoor unit 20, and shut-off valves 31, 32 that are closed when not energized to block the flow of refrigerant in the connecting pipes 40, 41, the installation method comprising a wiring energization step of energizing the shut-off valves 31, 32 and keeping at least one of the outdoor unit 10 and the indoor unit 20 unenergized, and a vacuuming step ST4 of discharging the air in the refrigerant piping by vacuuming after the wiring energization step.

[0061] The air conditioner and the installation method for the air conditioner are not limited to the configuration and method of the embodiment described above, nor are they limited to the effects described above. Furthermore, the air conditioner and the installation method for the air conditioner can be modified in various ways without departing from the gist of this disclosure. For example, one or more of the configurations and methods related to the modifications described above can be arbitrarily selected and adopted in the configurations and methods of the embodiment.

[0062] 10...Outdoor unit, 1...Compressor, 2...Four-way valve, 3...Outdoor heat exchanger, 4...Fan, 5...Expansion valve, 20, 20a, 20b...Indoor unit, 21...Indoor heat exchanger, 22...Through-through fan, 23...Refrigerant leak sensor, 30, 30a, 30b...Shut-off valve unit, 301...Housing, 302...Lid, 303...Contact part, 31, 31a, 31b...Gas side shut-off valve, 32, 32a, 32b...Liquid side shut-off valve, 33...Changeover switch, 331...Switch part, 34a, 34b, 34c, 34d...Check valve, 40...Gas side connecting pipe, 41...Liquid side connecting pipe, BK, BK1, BK2...Power breaker, EP, EP1, EP2...Commercial power supply, P1...ON position, P2...OFF position

Claims

1. A method for installing an air conditioner comprising an outdoor unit, an indoor unit, refrigerant piping having a connecting pipe connecting the outdoor unit and the indoor unit, and a shut-off valve unit having a shut-off valve that closes when not energized to block the flow of refrigerant in the connecting pipe, the method comprising: a wiring energization step of energizing the shut-off valve and de-energizing at least one of the outdoor unit and the indoor unit; and a vacuuming step of discharging the air in the refrigerant piping by vacuuming after the wiring energization step.

2. In the wiring energization step, the shut-off valve unit is connected to a power breaker via the indoor unit or the outdoor unit, the method for installing an air conditioner according to claim 1.

3. The method for installing an air conditioner according to claim 1, further comprising the step of operating a changeover switch to switch the opening and closing of the shut-off valve after the wiring energization step and before the vacuuming step, thereby opening the shut-off valve.

4. The method for installing an air conditioner according to claim 3, comprising a lid-closing step of closing the lid of the housing containing the changeover switch after the vacuuming step, wherein the lid has a contact portion that contacts the switch portion when the switch portion of the changeover switch is in a position that opens the shut-off valve.

5. The method for installing an air conditioner according to claim 3 or 4, further comprising the step of notifying when the shut-off valve is in the open state due to the changeover switch and when an operation command is received for the air conditioner.

6. A method for installing an air conditioner comprising an outdoor unit, an indoor unit, refrigerant piping having a connecting pipe connecting the outdoor unit and the indoor unit, and a shut-off valve that closes when not energized to block the flow of refrigerant in the connecting pipe, the method comprising: a wiring energization step of energizing the shut-off valve and de-energizing at least one of the outdoor unit and the indoor unit; and a vacuuming step of discharging the air in the refrigerant piping by vacuuming after the wiring energization step.

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