Since it sits outside fully exposed, your HVAC system’s outdoor unit is vulnerable to potential harm from yard equipment, general debris, overgrown vegetation and your landscaping efforts. The result can be costly damage to the compressor, condenser and other essential components housed in the outdoor unit, and a decline in your cooling system’s energy efficiency.
Here are some tips to help you take extra care when you’re performing any yard work so you can avoid such problems:
- Remove accumulated debris. Shut off the compressor’s breaker, then take off the metal shield and clear out any built up debris from inside the unit that can affect proper heat transfer through the coil – such as clumps of dried grass, dead leaves and cobwebs.
- Be mindful of the HVAC unit when you mow. Always mow in the right direction so that the clippings discharge away from the unit to keep cut grass off the condenser coil.
- Rinse away any clippings. After mowing, gently spray the unit down with the garden hose to get rid of cut grass that might clog up the coil.
- Keep the surroundings well trimmed. Trim back any shrubs, bushes, flowering plants and tall weeds in a two-foot wide area to allow for ample airflow through the condenser coil, and clean up the clippings so they don’t blow back onto the unit.
- Avoid damage from equipment. Be extra careful not to hit the condenser coil fins with your weed trimmer’s string or blade so you don’t cause any damage.
- Protect the coil from mud splashes and dirt. If the area around the outdoor unit is bare dirt, lay down two feet of weed-barrier landscaping fabric on all sides, then cover it with mulch or decorative stones.
- Add a mesh debris filter. This type of filter is inexpensive and easy to install, and it can help keep any small bits of yard debris off the condenser coil and fan, but it won’t restrict vital airflow.
To learn more about how yard work can affect the HVAC system in your Lorain home, contact us today at Energy 1 Heating & Air Conditioning.
Energy 1 Heating & Air Conditioning
1 (440) 246-5440
Serving the Lorain, OH Area