What Should You Do To Protect Your Air Conditioner In Winter?

Outdoor air conditioners are subject to harsh conditions in winter. Blustery winds are known to blow dry, dead brush into the sides of condensers, causing the coils in air conditioners to become dirty. Over time, this can impact the efficiency of air conditioners. Many homeowners do little or nothing to protect their air conditioners in winter, however, following a few standard procedures can help. Over time, taking the following steps can help your air conditioner last longer and maintain efficiency. 

What should you do to protect your air conditioner in winter?

There are several things you can do to prevent blowing, dead debris from becoming caught in your air conditioner in winter. For example:

  • Cut down, pull out or remove any nearby dead landscaping material leftover from the growing season. If you keep a flower bed in the area around the air conditioner, pull out any dead flowers. If you pruned any nearby shrubs at the end of the growing season, be sure to rake up the twigs and leaves leftover from the pruning.
  • Rake any leaves in your yard, then bag and discard the material. Dead leaves from nearby trees are one of the biggest reasons that air conditioner condensers become dirty.
  • Put up a fence around the condenser. As the winter drags on, putting up a fence around the condenser will help keep out any dead organic material from your yard.

Do you have to cover your air conditioner?

Air conditioner condensers are made to withstand normal amounts of precipitation without rusting. In addition, covering your air conditioner condenser with plastic or some other non-breathable material can trap in moisture and cause the unit to rust. In other words: not only is a cover not necessary, but it can actually do damage to your air conditioner.

The only reason that you might want a cover to protect your unit is if your air conditioner condenser sits under an eave where icicles frequently form. Sometimes falling icicles can damage the fins and casing of air conditioner condensers. To protect your unit, put a wooden board on top of the condenser. The board will help keep out the icicles while still allowing the condenser to breathe, thereby preventing rust from forming.

For more information about how to protect your air conditioner, knowledgeable air conditioning contractors can help. To get advice, contact a reputable repair person, such as Century Heating & Air Conditioning Services, in your community today. He or she can answer your questions about how to protect your air conditioner in winter.

About Me

Perfecting My Home HVAC System

After dealing with almost constant air conditioner and furnace failures, I realized I might not be doing my part to keep my systems clean and operational. To sort out the issues, I turned to a professional repairman for help. He explained that since I wasn't changing the filters regularly, there was no telling what would happen. I learned how to clean evaporator coils, replace filters, and even sort out power failures on my own. I want other people to experience the confidence and comfort that comes along with protecting your own HVAC system, so I put up this blog.

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