Understanding HVAC Issues

Protecting Your Outdoor Condenser Unit

Imagine walking into your home on a hot summer day and expecting to be hit with a blast of cool air, only to find that your air conditioning system isn't working properly. Routine maintenance is one of the easiest ways to keep your AC functional, but homeowners often overlook the importance of caring for their outdoor condenser unit.

Since the condenser usually isn't located in a highly-visible location (as the bulky unit can be an eyesore), these units can easily fall into disrepair. Providing your outdoor condenser with a little extra TLC during the summer season could help ensure the comfort of your home's interior.

Protect your condenser from the sun.

Maximizing the efficiency of your AC system is a great way to ensure cool indoor temperatures without raising your monthly energy bill. Your outdoor condenser sucks in the air surrounding it and then utilizes this air during the cooling process.

If you live in an area where outdoor temperatures can reach triple digits, you might want to protect your condenser from the sun. Adding an awning to shade your outdoor unit will reduce the air temperature immediately surrounding the unit, which reduces the amount of work your AC system must perform to keep your home cool.

Keep pets away from your condenser.

Allowing your family pet to roam freely in your yard could be placing your outdoor condenser at risk of sustaining serious damage. Dogs might lift their leg to urinate on the unit, while cats could mistake the condenser as a scratching post.

Urine and scratching can wreak havoc on an outdoor condenser by damaging the delicate wiring within the unit or shredding the filter that helps to eliminate contaminant particles from circulating throughout the unit during the cooling process. Try putting up a small fence around the outdoor condenser.

With the addition of a fence, you will be able to protect the unit from pet damage and help improve the aesthetic of your home.

Trim foliage regularly.

Some homeowners opt to use plants to both camouflage outdoor condenser units and provide these units with the shade they need to run efficiently. If you have plants located near your home's condenser, you need to trim this foliage regularly.

Twigs could become lodged in the exhaust fan and fallen leaves could clog up the condenser's intake pipe. Routine trimming will prevent plants from damaging your outdoor condenser and compromising the performance of your air conditioning system in the future.