Do I Need To Cover My Ac Unit For Winter

You need to decide what s best for your system by looking at the advantages and disadvantages of covering the outside components.

Do i need to cover my ac unit for winter.

An outside air conditioning unit often referred to as an hvac unit is a lifesaver during hot summer months. How do you cover your air conditioner. Like we discussed above unless you live in extreme weather it isn t really important that you take the time to cover your air conditioner in the winter. You can either use a piece of plywood to protect the top of your unit from falling ice as well as snow accumulation or duct tape a garbage bag around just the top of your system to allow ventilation from the sides as well as cover from the top.

Your central air conditioning unit consists of a compressor and condensing unit placed outdoors in a metal housing. Cover your air conditioner condenser with plywood plywood weighted down with bricks does a good job of protecting your air conditioner condenser in winter. Here are some suggestions for how to cover an air conditioner for winter in a way that doesn t trap moisture inside yet still keeps the unit protected. However if you do there are a couple of ways to do it.

You need to keep your unit s electrical wires as dry as possible during the cold winters. One of the main reasons you should not cover your air conditioner in the winter is down to water. The first way is to use a large tarp and wrap your air conditioner using rope and duct tape. Hold the foam covers in place using duct tape.

In fact covers can cause problems because they trap moisture and create an inviting winter home for small animals. Do this by covering them with foam pipe covers pay special attention to the wires and pipes that are going into your home. Pros to covering your outdoor unit. Rodents lizards and other pests can create nests in the space between the unit and the cover and have been known to chew through wires and strip parts of them to create their shelters.

Covering your air conditioner unit can invite unwelcome guests to make a home inside the cover during the cold winter months. Moisture will get into it by accumulating from the humidity which is naturally in the air and also from wind blowing inwards. Put plywood over the top of the unit only to shield from snow and ice weighing it down with bricks or rocks to keep in place. Evaporating water from the ground can also get into the system and therefore there is no escape.

Use a cover made of breathable material. If you want to protect the metal and keep it looking good give your condenser a coat of car wax before the snow flies. Covering an outdoor unit during the winter isn t necessary but it can be done.