Preparing Your AC Unit for the Winters

Like all homeowners, we have many responsibilities and chores based on the season. Now that winter is here, we hope that all of you have winterized and had a maintenance check on your air conditioning unit before everything gets covered with snow. 

 First tend to the central air conditioner; can’t exactly risk it dying in the warmer days that follow as the thick snow becomes a distant memory. It pays to be prepared for the obvious, especially for something as predictable as seasonal cycles, because neither you nor I want the air conditioner blowing hot air in a post 80-degree environment. That’s the kind of stuff that makes decent people turn into a danger to society. 

Winterize your Air Conditioner

According to conventional wisdom, it’s important to wrap up and cover your outer unit like a Christmas present. So in order to make sure that your life saving air conditioning unit is working during the eventual summers, you have to make sure to protect it against the harsh realities associated with our northern winters.

After spending hours in front of the screen and extensively researching on the optimum technique to winterize an AC unit, this is what we’ve come up with:

Cleaning

Properly clean out the surrounding areas of your AC’s outer unit. Make sure there aren’t any debris, branches, sticks, or even leaves within a three foot radius of your AC. This will discourage any animals from making a home for themselves near the unit. It will also prevent any clogging or damage to the unit. Beware from animals, since they are the leading cause of damage to air conditioners.

Covering

Now a lot of people out there claim that you should properly cover the whole air conditioning unit to prevent anything, including air, from going in and out. However, we advise against it. Instead, get a cover for your outer unit, preferably one which is made of plywood. Use it as a top cover and make sure it stays in place. This will prevent anything from going inside the unit, especially snow which can damage the system.

Based on our understanding, there is no need to tightly cover the whole unit up. Because when you tightly cover the unit, you end up trapping a lot of the things you intended to keep out, for example, moisture, residue, and condensation. Just remember the unit was manufactured to be outside, so don’t worry about it being outside.

Keep your air conditioning unit in good shape, which honestly doesn’t require a lot of work anyway. With some minor maintenance it will never give you any trouble and help you through the transition into the sweltering summers that follow the icy winters! 

One thought on “Preparing Your AC Unit for the Winters

  1. Found your blog about commercial heating system. It is hard found proper company that pay attention on customer requirements. I glad to find company that actually cares about it.

    If you ever need service on your furnace, air conditioner or water heater please visit us at Accutrolhvac. We would love it if you would have a look at some of our blogs and let us know your thoughts.

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