Repairing a laser level: a review of possible problems and how to quickly fix them yourself at home

Design of a laser level

The laser type level belongs to the category of optical measuring instruments that require an appropriate approach to use and storage. Failure to comply with storage and operating conditions leads to damage to the level. Before repairing a laser level, you should understand its structure.

The instrument in question appears to have a simple design, but some of its individual parts have a complex structure, which causes difficulties in self-repair at home. However, knowledge of the design of this measuring device will help simplify repair work.

The main element of the level is the light source, along which the corresponding constructions of horizontal and vertical planes are made. LEDs are used as a light emitter, the illumination of which is enhanced through the use of a lens system. An LED can fail only due to a malfunction of the electronic chip. The lenses can only break, in which case they will need to be replaced.

Outside the device there is a housing, which usually has a high degree of protection from moisture and dust. The housing is usually made of impact-resistant plastic. The housing design has a connector where replaceable batteries are installed or batteries are stored. To carry out precise measuring work, the device has a special installation system. This system allows you to position the level evenly and make the appropriate measurements.

Levels come in different varieties, which depends not only on the manufacturers. They are classified into simple or household and professional:

• Household device models are only capable of creating a beam that is directed parallel to the body
• Professional - they are capable of projecting laser beams in different planes and around the entire circle at 360 degrees. Such devices additionally use an electric drive that rotates the laser LED in a circle.

The more complex the design of the instrument, the more difficult it is to repair the level. To repair the device yourself, you should find out the main types of breakdowns that occur at laser levels.

This is interesting! Various breakdowns occur on levels, which can be classified as artificial, those arising due to improper operation or storage, as well as production ones - these are defects of the laser level during its manufacture.

Pendulum correction: two planes simultaneously

Often a situation arises in which all planes and the plumb line are shifted in one direction and at the same distance.

If you have just such a failure, then you are in luck, because it is very simple to repair.

In order to return the planes to their original position, you need to twist the large transverse adjustment screw.

The shift of the center of gravity in the pendulum should occur relative to where the planes are inclined, that is, if the planes are tilted to the left, then the screw must be unscrewed, and if they are tilted to the right, the screw must be tightened accordingly.

There is approximately the same screw on the back side of the pendulum; we touch it only if there is a “nod” of the horizontal plane up or down relative to the desired plane.

Again, regarding the basic, with such a horizon setting, you must first take into account the position of the plumb line; by definition, if the plane looks down, then the plumb line must have a deviation in the opposite direction.

Defects in laser levels and how to fix them yourself

When purchasing a measuring instrument, the question arises about which device to choose for repair. After all, in order to prevent level breakdowns, it is necessary to decide at the purchase stage which tool is suitable for performing certain jobs. If you buy a level for indoor work and use it outdoors, it will not last long. In addition, you should not choose cheap models if you have high hopes for the device. If Chinese cheap fakes are used frequently, they will quickly fail.

However, not only cheap levels break, but also expensive ones that require appropriate repairs. When you need to repair a level yourself, we will find out in detail:

1. When, when the device is turned on, the laser beam is not rectilinear, but curved in the shape of an arc
2. If the LED that creates vertical and horizontal projections does not light up
3. If the control buttons are faulty
4. In case of defects on the body caused by mechanical impact
5. If the electric drive does not rotate when starting
6. The laser beam becomes dim and barely noticeable

If the device has been dropped on the ground or damaged by heavy tools or building materials, even if it shows no signs of malfunction, it should still be diagnosed. The position adjustment system, and especially the self-adjusting mechanism, can also fail.

This is interesting! The ability to repair a laser level depends on what specifically went wrong in the measuring instrument. If the breakdown is serious, and the device is expensive, then its repair can be entrusted to professionals from the service center. However, there is no need to rush, as you can try to fix the meter yourself.

Main types of defects

It is possible to repair a laser level in some cases, but first you should make sure that the warranty period for the device has expired. Warranty cases include:

1. If, during the operation of the tool, irregularities appear on the laser line when projecting horizontal marks.
2. In case of violations in the suspension system of prisms, which leads to the disappearance of sections of light lines.
3. When violations of vertical rays occur, which leads to a difference between the level readings and the true readings.
4. If during operation any element of the control board fails. Violation of any element of the board will certainly lead to a malfunction of the entire device.
5. If a phenomenon such as sticking of buttons and switches occurs. This makes it impossible to turn the device on or off, or to switch between different functions.
6. If a luminous beam does not appear when the level is turned on.

While the tool is new, it is handled with care, but over time, during active use, the device may fall or various types of aggressive substances may come into contact with it.

How to check a laser level yourself?

Checking a laser level may be necessary when doubts arise about its correct readings. To check the device, you need to place it in any corner of any room. Using a marker, you should put mark No. 1 in the corner with the device, then you need to direct a horizontal beam to the opposite wall diagonally from the device, and put mark No. 2 there. As soon as this procedure is completed, the device must be moved to the opposite corner and installed there.

Now you need to combine the beam with the nearest mark No. 2, and direct it to mark No. 1. If the beam coincides with it, then the device can be considered serviceable, but if not, then it will need to be repaired or adjusted.

Is it possible to fix it?

It is almost impossible to repair laser levels yourself. The device is a complex mechanism consisting of not only mechanical but also electronic elements. To repair the laser level, it is recommended to contact specialized workshops.

Numerous experience of level owners shows that only such a unit as the sight can be repaired. In this case, you will need to disassemble the tool body. Inside, there is a tendril on the movable element, which should be moved into a special hole on a metal base. In other cases, it is recommended to entrust laser level repairs exclusively to specialists. After all, the device is a fairly expensive device, which is very easy to damage if you try to carry out repairs yourself.

It is impossible to avoid breakdowns of the level, like any other instrument, but you can extend its service life by careful handling and proper care of it. Features of instrument care are described in the instructions that come with each product.

Level verification: what is it and why is it necessary?

Often device failures are hidden, that is, the level projects planes correctly, but at the same time they are distorted and inaccurate. Such a malfunction is not detected immediately, and you can perform a large amount of work, and only then discover that the laser level is “lying.” To prevent these types of malfunctions, verification should be performed regularly. In this case, you will not need to take the tool to a workshop or service center for verification, since you can complete the task yourself.

How to check a laser level yourself? First you need to turn it on, and then perform a number of the following simple manipulations:

1. Place the level closer to the wall in the room and project the beam onto the opposite side
2. Unfold the device and make a mark on the wall near which the level is located
3. Move the device closer to the opposite wall and align the laser beam with the mark
4. Once the laser beam is aligned with the mark on the nearest wall, you should turn it and check whether the projected line coincides with the marking on the opposite wall

The device is considered accurate if the beam falls exactly on the mark. A slight deviation is allowed, which may indicate an instrument error. The error depends not only on the cost of the level, but also on the range of measurements taken. The further the device is from the surface on which the beam is projected, the greater the inaccuracy value.

This is interesting! If verification shows that the device has a large error, then operation cannot be continued. First, the level must be adjusted, which you can do yourself if you have adjusting screws. Otherwise, you will need to take the device to a specialized center.

Price list

How realistic is it to repair a laser level?

When a grinder or drill breaks down, the first thing the master does is rush to disassemble the tool himself and repair it. Few people think about taking such levels to specialized service centers. As soon as a level breaks, few people think about repairing it themselves. This is due to the fact that the device has a complex design (at first glance). If you understand the structure of the tool, then no problems with repairs will arise.

Most experts do not recommend repairing devices yourself. However, there is nothing wrong with trying to find the cause of the problem and fix it. In addition, most breakdowns can be eliminated even without disassembling the tool.

1. The batteries or battery are low. If the level does not turn on, then the first thing you should do is make sure that the power supplies are working. If these are batteries, then they need to be replaced, and if they are a battery, then put them on charge
2. Malfunction of contacts or their oxidation - if you do not use the device for a long time, and at the same time leave the batteries in it for a long time, they may “leak”. As a result, the design of the device will suffer. To prevent this kind of breakdown, it is necessary to remove the batteries from the instrument during storage. If these are lithium-ion batteries, then they must be stored exclusively in charged form.
3. Failure of the charger - if the level is powered by a built-in battery, then the charging unit may fail. You can find out about such a breakdown by the absence of a charge indication when the plug is plugged into the socket.
4. Horizontal or vertical projection does not work - in this case, it is necessary to disassemble the device body and perform diagnostics. Failures in the electrical circuit can only be determined by knowledgeable and experienced specialists. In addition, specialized equipment will be needed for testing. However, often the cause of projection inoperability is a loose wiring. Having a soldering iron, you should solder the wires in place in order to eventually restore the functionality of the laser projection meter
5. Blurred or poorly visible laser projection - in this case, it is necessary to disassemble the housing and check the cleanliness of the glass. The glass usually gets clogged, so it needs to be cleaned. If the cause is not glass, then you need to change the LEDs or check the microcircuit
6. The buttons do not work - if it jams, sticks or does not turn on at all, it must be replaced. To replace the button, there is also no need to take the device to a specialist. You should disassemble it, diagnose the breakdown, and, if possible, fix it.
7. Malfunction of the pointer - the cause is a violation of the integrity of the weight. To fix the damage, you need to disassemble the tool and adjust the pointer

This is interesting! If the level is still under warranty, then in this case it is better to take it to the store and have it repaired. Such repairs will be free, and you will not need to interfere with the structure yourself.

From the above, we can say that you can repair the level yourself, without the help of specialists. The main thing here is accuracy and caution. If after disassembly it is not possible to identify the cause of the breakdown, then you should assemble the level and take it for repair. There are specialized centers for this.

Where to repair a laser level

Having understood the question of whether it is possible to repair the level yourself, we can conclude that if it is not possible to restore the functionality of the instrument, then there is no need to rush to buy a new one. A failed laser level can be restored by contacting specialized centers. Such centers are located not only in large cities of Russia, but also in smaller ones. There are specialized centers for repairing laser levels in the following Russian cities:

• Moscow
• Ekaterinburg
• Novosibirsk
• Rostov
• Nizhny Novgorod
• Ufa
• Samara
• Krasnodar
• Chelyabinsk
• Falcon
• Voronezh
• Irkutsk
• Krasnoyarsk

No matter what big city you live in, in order to repair a laser level, you must first try to find the breakdown yourself, and only then look for the addresses of service centers. These centers perform not only repairs, but also adjustment and verification of the measuring device. How much repairs cost at a service center depends on many factors:

1. Location - the remoteness of the settlement from the city indicates the need for costs for shipping parts and components, which is an additional expense
2. Laser level model - repairing cheap models is correspondingly inexpensive, but to repair levels from brands such as Bosch, DeWalt, Hitachi and others, you will need the appropriate components
3. Type of fault - if it is a minor breakdown, then the cost of such repairs will be insignificant

To avoid being deceived, you should choose only specialized service centers and workshops. It’s not difficult to find out about these, since there are many reviews about these or other workshops on the Internet. If you know the addresses of good level repair shops in Russia, Ukraine and Belarus, then you can share the addresses directly on the site.

Instructions on how to repair a laser level with a step-by-step description

If you are faced with a situation where the laser level has stopped working, then you need to immediately begin repairing it. First, we assess the extent of the breakdown, and only if it turns out that the cause is internal, then we proceed to disassemble the case. All levels are dismountable, for which you need to unscrew a certain number of screws to remove the cover. If the projection stops working at the level, the repair will look like this:

1. To repair a laser level you need to remove the housing
2. Now you can diagnose the problem. If one of the projections does not work, then you need to look at the serviceability of the contacts. In the example, a malfunction of one contact was detected, due to which one plane does not work
3. You can fix the damage by soldering the wires in their place. If it breaks off, then you need to find a similar wire (without insulation) and with the appropriate cross-section, and solder it in place of the damaged one
4. In the end, all that remains is to assemble the tool and check its functionality. When assembling, you need to be careful not to snag the wires and again not break their integrity.

After assembly, it is necessary to install the power supplies in place and check the functionality of the tool.

The tool works properly. As you can see, the repair does not take much time, effort, and does not require special knowledge. If the laser level breaks down, then you must first identify the cause of the breakdown, and only then restore the functionality of the device. Only in exceptional cases is it recommended to seek the help of specialists, and in 60% of cases you can repair it yourself. Below is a detailed video description of the process of repairing a laser level with your own hands.

As a result, it should be noted that a good specialist in a service center is not one who has exorbitant prices for repairs. A good technician will handle the repair quickly, and his services will not cost as much as a new level.