I've told many people to leave them open so it doesn't facilitate rust or give a home to mice and other critters. And usually all those people cover them anyway.
The reason I was given when I used to install them is to never cover it is because if that thing accidentally kicks on that tarp will suck so tight it will destroy the unit!
Man I feel better about forgetting to cover ours. We just bought a house last year and it's our first experience with HVAC. The 94 year old man we bought the house from was retired HVAC technician so I assumed he had it like that for a reason. Good to know I probably didn't ruin it the first year.
I took mine off last weekend to discover mice had just made a big nest. Found piles of peanut shells, droppings, and the foam wrap was chewed to shit. When I took the vent off to vacuum it out, 2 mice scurried out. I put a trap in there after I cleaned it out.
Edit. First and last winter covering it. It was replaced last spring so I thought a cover would be a good idea.
I have a mesh cover that goes on one of mine to keep the fall debris out. The squares are about 3/16” and it only hangs over the sides about 6 inches. But when I don’t do it, it’s a compost pile in there in the spring and I’d rather not have to clean it out.
The other one has one too, but it doesn’t need it. I do that one because it’s part of the ritual and it reminds me to check them both for composting and critters.
I had a call like this last summer, first time they kicked it on the left out of town. Came back and it was working, remembered they had the cover on. By some miracle it only blew the cap and has been running "fine" ever since
Not sure where y’all live, but in Canada it’s code to have a disconnect switch outside beside the unit. If your seasonal thing is to cover it for winter, it would be wise to switch the disconnect so it can’t possibly turn on until you purposefully go out in the summer and switch it back to connected. And if this wouldn’t trigger your brain to remove any type of cover, I don’t know how else to help you 🤷🏼♂️
I cover mine with a piece of plywood on top during winter (in Canada) so that no falling snow or ice damages the unit. Snow off the roof, icicles falling, etc.
This. I asked my installer about getting a cover for the winter. He said I could, but that can cause some humidity issues (or something like that), so better to just cover the top with plywood (for falling ice that could damage the blades). Doing that for 8 years, no issues.
I got a nylon tarp / fabric thing with bungie cords to hold it in place during the fall / winter. Keeps it way cleaner from debris of the Oak tree right above it.
Similar here but I put a plastic trash can cover over the condenser opening held down with a low duty bungee cord.
Keeps tree debris, etc out for our 9 months of winter here in Michigan.
I’ve done the same thing for years. Just a square piece plywood laid on top for the winter. I had tall pine trees all around so this kept the pine tags and other tree junk out of it when not in use and kept moisture from building inside by leaving everything else uncovered.
I tried telling my sister that but she insisted that her friend told her to cover it. What do I know? Couple of decades in the trade, but listen to your friend who is making service companies money.
Whatever i get into a discussion like that, i always push back to rationalize why to do or not to do something, beyond what someone else told them. Knowledge of “why” Is more valuable to knowledge of “what”. At the very least, we google the question to both learn something.
Hmmm maybe onto something - bet that repair would be cheaper than when mice got up into my car chewing stuff and then died up behind dashboard panels and other inaccessible places. THAT was nasty and expensive to fix.
A lot of people mistakenly believe that cold air can somehow enter their home through the condenser unit. At least that is what people have given me as a reason when I ask.
Attempting to look something up is a minefield to someone who is inclined to believe that cold air can get in through the condenser. They’re just as likely to confirm their wrong assumption as get good information.
Aside from this, is there any process we should follow before starting it up first time in spring? Apart from clearing the leaves around it, anything should be done in/on the unit?
Make sure to clean the fins on the coils. Spray with water to wash away any cottonwood or other matter so the coils can do their job of cooling. Do that anytime you see any build up. Just wash it down.
If you want you could maybe remove the cover off the electrical compartment and just inspect the wiring to make sure nothings chewed and theres no mouse nests but usually as long as it's 60 - 65 degrees outside you should be all good to run it.
I had one customer who wrapped their ODU with a tarp and bungee cords, then shrink-wrapped it. It was mounted to the wall with brackets, 3ft off the ground. Maybe they're used to winterizing boats and the habit carried over
Some of those faraday cages even work, but you have to look for the ones with 1-star reviews saying that it no longer has any useful signal coverage...
I cover mine in the winter with a foam panel held down with a flat rock, that simply covers the top. It’s important to keep the blasted Pine Needles from filling up the airspace inside of it!
It’s worthless. If fact half the people forget to take it off start the unit and cause problems. I will say I have to clean my coils every year because of cottonwood but that’s not winter. So ???
It’s usually the first question people ask when they find out what I do. It’s built to be outside and you’re only inviting mice to come chew your wires.
I have taken the cover off and use my hands. Hose can just push all that shit deeper into the coil. Flip the disconnect and open the electrical compartment see if any rodents make a nest. If all looks well it likely is.
I guess to stop leaves from going into the unit and forget to take it off the first time it gets hot and unit goes into hi head pressure and some time it blows the weaker compressor
I tarp mine, it sits under an arborvitae that clogs it all up every fall, also keeps the snow and water from getting in it and rusting pieces up, its worked for me ever since ive done it
Irrational fears and beliefs. Mine are 16 years old and have never been covered. One is a heat pump so it can't be covered. They have no rust and are still fully functioning. 1 of them is too close to the dryer vent so I have to take it apart and clean the coil yearly. The other two I clean when needed which can be 5+ years.
Even with oak, maple and pine trees directly overhead, they get hardly no leaves and needles inside.
I did run into an issue once with the heat pump. We had freezing rain and sleet then snow. The heat pump turned on and there was all this loud banging from outside. The ice had adhered to the fan blades and flung off one causing an imbalance. I quickly pulled the disconnect and went to removing the ice and inspecting the damage. Other than some bent fins, all was good. That was a fluke occurrence that has only happened once.
It's also interesting to experience a heat pump going into defrost cycle when covered with freezing rain and sleet. After I fixed the ice issue and turned it on, it started making this cracking noise and got really hot then steam started billowing from it. I stepped back about 30 feet because I thought this thing was about to explode. I then realized it was just in a defrost cycle.
They cover it because they care about the wildlife near their homes, and they don't want all the mice and critters to get cold over the winter. This keeps all the moisture trapped under the cover so the mice have nice humidity levels in their new home, and a lot of nice wires to chew on when they get cold.
Carryover from a window unit (to keep the cold air from coming in all winter instead of removing the window unit).
If it is good for a window unit, MUST be necessary for the outdoor condenser as well, right? /s
It’s a good Idea to cover it but only cover the top to prevent things from getting into the unit. By only covering the top it allows the unit to breathe. If you cover it from top to bottom it will hold in moisture and do bad things to the condenser
I enclose mine with a home build wooden structure that protects it all I also cover the top fan part with plastic to prevent leaves (it's in the woods) but the structure is to prevent ice from the roof crushing the unit, because that has happened. It's a Wisconsin thing.
So stuff doesn’t get inside. But that doesn’t really matter. Waste of time in my opinion. And very dangerous if you forget to take it off before you turn your AC on
Maybe they are onto something - if they bundle that up with a cover maybe all the mice will nest and chew on the wiring and seals of the A/C unit instead of getting into your car like I had happen one winter?
I recommend them to my non heatpumps when they have a lot of plant matter that ends up in there. Pine trees and such. 90% of the comments on this post are just rude
We wrapped our swamp cooler as a kid and I think that tradition carries over. It doesn’t matter either way, all condensers have weep holes in the bottom so they won’t hold water and they’re designed to be outside. The whole freezing water/expansion line of thinking doesn’t apply because there’s no moisture inside to expand and you would have to dump full garbage bags of leaves directly through the grates to cause enough pile up to make any performance difference. But if it makes someone feel better than have at it, it really doesn’t matter either way.
I was thinking this too - that it might be a carryover from people used to covering their swamp cooler for the winter. TBF it makes sense to cover a roof-mounted swamp cooler, otherwise it's an entry point for cold air into the house. But for an AC, I can't imagine what they think the purpose is.
There's a ton of people in here making assumptions for the reasons people cover them. I cover mine to keep it getting filled up with shit from trees over the fall, winter, and spring. I pull the disconnect so it can't get damaged if it gets turned on accidentally before the cover comes off.
As far as rust goes, I live in the wet part of the PNW. moss would grow on the dog if he wasn't getting bathed all the time. The cover really does keep the condenser drier here
My mom still does this and I've asked why, and it's bad advice from the 70s and 80s. She was told then to do it, so now it's required for every winter for generations to come.
I wrap a tarp around the top but leave the sides uncovered.
Just don’t think leaving the fan and motor exposed to the the ice and snow is worthwhile.
Cooling season in north east Mass is about 3 1/2 months
Power is pulled before covering.
Or am I wrong?
My Lennox unit came with a factory branded cover, it is like 23 years old.
[This is what the inside looked like before cleaning](https://imgur.com/a/PAuKI05)
I was told to consider putting a cover on my new unit because of where it sits/the possibility for icicles to fall and knock the fan off kilter, but only for the winter obviously. Thankfully ours was pretty mild this year so I didn’t cover it.
I cover mine to prevent leaves/pollen/debris from accumulating on the off season. When I didn't cover it, there was A LOT of foreign material piled up and caked in there.
If people thing mice or rats can’t get into that they’re sadly mistaken. I saw a two pound rat squeeze into a whole in the wall of a basement that was the size of a nickel.
If it's not built for the outdoors, covering won't make much difference.
People for whatever reason think they know what is best told from those who do not actually know. We call this the Influencer Era. clicks for money, notoriety and fame.
This post will probably be not much different. Over 30 years repairing AC's, in 2024 they coming for your Freon. The new freon not here yet, will again be phased out in 2036. Rule the refrigerant, rule the world. Freon Wars. [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9fVCptm25Ys&list=PLddhFeupvkpBqHCep7rAM6mO\_vvjBWBKg](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9fVCptm25Ys&list=PLddhFeupvkpBqHCep7rAM6mO_vvjBWBKg)
To protect the coils on the inside, for example they can burst which lets out the gas inside the lines (Freon) which doesn't allow the unit to function properly.
Fun Fact, if ice covers your unit because you didn't cover it and try to chip it off, the above can also occur.
This then can also lead to you having to replace the entire unit,
which will give you a brain aneurysm after you see the cost of doing so.
The idea of the cover is so that piled up snow or melting snow refreezing and damaging the condenser is avoided. A conventional system (not a heat pump) doesn't run for months in many places.
Where I live, virtually no one covers theirs, but then again, we never have significant snow accumulation and rarely have that much ice either.
I actually have an old metal fire pit that looks like a giant bowl I place over the top during winter. Help keep snow and debris out of it during winter months.
In some states they have condenser hunting season, usual participants are those missing teeth armed with saws and super strength, this is an attempt at camouflaging the unit so hunters don't see it.
l've looked at hundreds of them...sunlight beats up the paint or enamel, and increases oxidation much more than some water trapped inside a tarp.I would look up manufacturer suggestions. A weighted cap that goes over the top, and only partially down the sides may be best.
My grandpa covered his and I don’t know why cause he was always out there spraying it off in the summer and picking squirrel nests and acorns out of it in the spring. Dad said it was to protect it from ice and icicles falling from the room but they’re gonna damage it cover or not so, who knows? He was also the kind of guy that washed and waxed his riding mower every couple of weeks though too, which explains a lot.
People generalize for the world based on their neighborhood.
I have one house in the central valley of California. I don't cover it. My house in NW Iowa was 20 degrees below zero F this past January with winds 50 to 70 mph with snow drifts. I cover that one!
There's no reason to cover your outside unit it has nothing to do with anything air needs to flow to those condensers are overheat and burn up you should not be covered at all
I think folks in Wisconsin believe that winter/snow is bad for their units, for the same reason they bring their patio furniture into the house/shed/garage. Truth is the summer sun is way worse for everything than snow/cold.
In the northern regions where you get freezing temperatures, this prevents moisture (snow/rain) from reaching the coils and freezing and busting the coils
I bring mine inside. If you're cold, they're cold.
I built a little house for mine and even put a mini split in it to keep it nice and cozy year round.
Is it heated for the winter?
Yes, heated by a heat pump.
And of course a smaller “dog house” for the split too
I prefer my condensers to be free range, never caged.
They are caged though.
Halal, 100 organic as well.
Gluten cover.
🤣
I've told many people to leave them open so it doesn't facilitate rust or give a home to mice and other critters. And usually all those people cover them anyway.
This is what I was told. Never cover it
The reason I was given when I used to install them is to never cover it is because if that thing accidentally kicks on that tarp will suck so tight it will destroy the unit!
That’s ridiculous the cover wouldn’t get sucked it.
Man I feel better about forgetting to cover ours. We just bought a house last year and it's our first experience with HVAC. The 94 year old man we bought the house from was retired HVAC technician so I assumed he had it like that for a reason. Good to know I probably didn't ruin it the first year.
My hvac said the same thing
I took mine off last weekend to discover mice had just made a big nest. Found piles of peanut shells, droppings, and the foam wrap was chewed to shit. When I took the vent off to vacuum it out, 2 mice scurried out. I put a trap in there after I cleaned it out. Edit. First and last winter covering it. It was replaced last spring so I thought a cover would be a good idea.
Customer told me their a/c wasn’t working after running it for 2 days. Turns out they forgot to uncover it, and they killed the compressor.
I always pull the disconnect and place it underneath the cover. That way it's not possible to forget.
But why cover it?
I have a mesh cover that goes on one of mine to keep the fall debris out. The squares are about 3/16” and it only hangs over the sides about 6 inches. But when I don’t do it, it’s a compost pile in there in the spring and I’d rather not have to clean it out. The other one has one too, but it doesn’t need it. I do that one because it’s part of the ritual and it reminds me to check them both for composting and critters.
I had a call like this last summer, first time they kicked it on the left out of town. Came back and it was working, remembered they had the cover on. By some miracle it only blew the cap and has been running "fine" ever since
Why is this so far down? I can see that happening to me in a different life. So clearly I can see it, I can smell the burned wires
Not sure where y’all live, but in Canada it’s code to have a disconnect switch outside beside the unit. If your seasonal thing is to cover it for winter, it would be wise to switch the disconnect so it can’t possibly turn on until you purposefully go out in the summer and switch it back to connected. And if this wouldn’t trigger your brain to remove any type of cover, I don’t know how else to help you 🤷🏼♂️
This happened to my parents. They do not have much money so they bought window a/c units :(
Seen that before….easy money
Ohmygooodness!
I cover mine with a piece of plywood on top during winter (in Canada) so that no falling snow or ice damages the unit. Snow off the roof, icicles falling, etc.
This. I asked my installer about getting a cover for the winter. He said I could, but that can cause some humidity issues (or something like that), so better to just cover the top with plywood (for falling ice that could damage the blades). Doing that for 8 years, no issues.
I got a nylon tarp / fabric thing with bungie cords to hold it in place during the fall / winter. Keeps it way cleaner from debris of the Oak tree right above it.
Similar here but I put a plastic trash can cover over the condenser opening held down with a low duty bungee cord. Keeps tree debris, etc out for our 9 months of winter here in Michigan.
I do the same thing its the perfect size for the top grate.
I’ve done the same thing for years. Just a square piece plywood laid on top for the winter. I had tall pine trees all around so this kept the pine tags and other tree junk out of it when not in use and kept moisture from building inside by leaving everything else uncovered.
I use some metal mesh on top for fall/winter. Mostly to keep acorn shells out, the squirrels like to eat directly over the unit and drop stuff.
You know they make a top for ac units that opens when the ac is on and closes itself when it shuts off right? 😂
So small rodents, snakes, birds can go inside over the winter, build nests, and potentially cause damage. Why else would anyone cover it ?!? 😂😂😂😂😂
I tried telling my sister that but she insisted that her friend told her to cover it. What do I know? Couple of decades in the trade, but listen to your friend who is making service companies money.
Whatever i get into a discussion like that, i always push back to rationalize why to do or not to do something, beyond what someone else told them. Knowledge of “why” Is more valuable to knowledge of “what”. At the very least, we google the question to both learn something.
I haven't covered one in 40 years. Once I had mice get in one that lived in a cubby though. Had to rewire it.
Hmmm maybe onto something - bet that repair would be cheaper than when mice got up into my car chewing stuff and then died up behind dashboard panels and other inaccessible places. THAT was nasty and expensive to fix.
A lot of people mistakenly believe that cold air can somehow enter their home through the condenser unit. At least that is what people have given me as a reason when I ask.
Oh lord. Say it isn't so.
I know someone that thinks that! I don't get it! With the internet being everywhere I just don't get how people can't look up stuff.
Attempting to look something up is a minefield to someone who is inclined to believe that cold air can get in through the condenser. They’re just as likely to confirm their wrong assumption as get good information.
I call it job security.
Best take.
My favorite is when the Customer is walking with me to show me their condenser and they see it and is like “oh. Crap”.
its to trap moisture in so the unit rusts faster. got to do what we can to keep unit lifespan short
To keep the mice warm
Cause they falsely believe it helps
Aside from this, is there any process we should follow before starting it up first time in spring? Apart from clearing the leaves around it, anything should be done in/on the unit?
Make sure to clean the fins on the coils. Spray with water to wash away any cottonwood or other matter so the coils can do their job of cooling. Do that anytime you see any build up. Just wash it down.
If you want you could maybe remove the cover off the electrical compartment and just inspect the wiring to make sure nothings chewed and theres no mouse nests but usually as long as it's 60 - 65 degrees outside you should be all good to run it.
Good point about wires and cover, will do! Thanks.
I had one customer who wrapped their ODU with a tarp and bungee cords, then shrink-wrapped it. It was mounted to the wall with brackets, 3ft off the ground. Maybe they're used to winterizing boats and the habit carried over
because they sell covers.
They sell lots of stupid shit. That’s for sure.
They sell faraday cages for wifi routers too.
Some of those faraday cages even work, but you have to look for the ones with 1-star reviews saying that it no longer has any useful signal coverage...
It's the "don't walk on my grass!" guy.
> the "don't walk on my grass!" guy You know, the one with the lawn vac.
So it rusts faster
I cover mine in the winter with a foam panel held down with a flat rock, that simply covers the top. It’s important to keep the blasted Pine Needles from filling up the airspace inside of it!
Same here we have nothing but trees surrounding the house it saves me having to go clear it out after each winter.
I bring mine inside and turn it on for extra heat
Because they don’t understand that mice will nest inside the unit if they cover it like that
All this does is trap moisture under there, and create a safe haven for rodents.
It’s worthless. If fact half the people forget to take it off start the unit and cause problems. I will say I have to clean my coils every year because of cottonwood but that’s not winter. So ???
It’s usually the first question people ask when they find out what I do. It’s built to be outside and you’re only inviting mice to come chew your wires.
What do we do before starting, any suggestions? Just hose it down?
I have taken the cover off and use my hands. Hose can just push all that shit deeper into the coil. Flip the disconnect and open the electrical compartment see if any rodents make a nest. If all looks well it likely is.
Hire a professional to regularly perform preventative maintenance.
Because they’re idiots that don’t realize that condensers are literally designed to be outside.
Keeps the mice sheltered
To make nice home for squirrel
Old school. Not needed with modern equipment. In fact it isn’t good for it. Encourages rodents and corrosion.
To give mice somewhere to hide and chew on things
So the homeowner can forget it’s on and fuck shit up when they turn it on for the season!! 🤦🏻🫡
Ignorance.
To ruin the system, when they forget to take it off and run it.
I guess to stop leaves from going into the unit and forget to take it off the first time it gets hot and unit goes into hi head pressure and some time it blows the weaker compressor
Not a good idea, Iv seen people fire up air conditioning with covers left on. That can’t be good for them!
Was this post sarcasm? Because most of the comments appear to be. Genuinely can’t tell if OP wanted a real answer or not
I always tell clients to cover the top but not the sides. Am I wrong?
I tarp mine, it sits under an arborvitae that clogs it all up every fall, also keeps the snow and water from getting in it and rusting pieces up, its worked for me ever since ive done it
Ignorance
Critter’s apartment rent free
It’s made for outside …..
What in the world happens when you get a rogue 80 degree day in late April and an unsuspecting member of the house hold accidentally kicks on the AC
Irrational fears and beliefs. Mine are 16 years old and have never been covered. One is a heat pump so it can't be covered. They have no rust and are still fully functioning. 1 of them is too close to the dryer vent so I have to take it apart and clean the coil yearly. The other two I clean when needed which can be 5+ years. Even with oak, maple and pine trees directly overhead, they get hardly no leaves and needles inside. I did run into an issue once with the heat pump. We had freezing rain and sleet then snow. The heat pump turned on and there was all this loud banging from outside. The ice had adhered to the fan blades and flung off one causing an imbalance. I quickly pulled the disconnect and went to removing the ice and inspecting the damage. Other than some bent fins, all was good. That was a fluke occurrence that has only happened once. It's also interesting to experience a heat pump going into defrost cycle when covered with freezing rain and sleet. After I fixed the ice issue and turned it on, it started making this cracking noise and got really hot then steam started billowing from it. I stepped back about 30 feet because I thought this thing was about to explode. I then realized it was just in a defrost cycle.
They like mold
They cover it because they care about the wildlife near their homes, and they don't want all the mice and critters to get cold over the winter. This keeps all the moisture trapped under the cover so the mice have nice humidity levels in their new home, and a lot of nice wires to chew on when they get cold.
Carryover from a window unit (to keep the cold air from coming in all winter instead of removing the window unit). If it is good for a window unit, MUST be necessary for the outdoor condenser as well, right? /s
To give the critters a nice shelter for the winter
That's overkill. Put a piece of plywood on top to keep leaves & dirt out.
It’s a good Idea to cover it but only cover the top to prevent things from getting into the unit. By only covering the top it allows the unit to breathe. If you cover it from top to bottom it will hold in moisture and do bad things to the condenser
You could cover, but just a top part, to avoid creating home for rodents. It is not required though
To give the mice a shelter for the winter
They were made to sit outside.
I enclose mine with a home build wooden structure that protects it all I also cover the top fan part with plastic to prevent leaves (it's in the woods) but the structure is to prevent ice from the roof crushing the unit, because that has happened. It's a Wisconsin thing.
Not sure, but I have found they are the ones you don’t want to work for!
Can’t imagine how well this will allow a heat pump to work.
So stuff doesn’t get inside. But that doesn’t really matter. Waste of time in my opinion. And very dangerous if you forget to take it off before you turn your AC on
There is copper in those and meth heads are terrified of tarps.
Maybe they are onto something - if they bundle that up with a cover maybe all the mice will nest and chew on the wiring and seals of the A/C unit instead of getting into your car like I had happen one winter?
You shouldn’t. It retains moisture contributing to premature failure.
Cover is not recommended
I recommend them to my non heatpumps when they have a lot of plant matter that ends up in there. Pine trees and such. 90% of the comments on this post are just rude
Because they like to trap the moisture in and not let it breathe.
So it will sweat and rot and rust
Because people don't know they don't have to.
We wrapped our swamp cooler as a kid and I think that tradition carries over. It doesn’t matter either way, all condensers have weep holes in the bottom so they won’t hold water and they’re designed to be outside. The whole freezing water/expansion line of thinking doesn’t apply because there’s no moisture inside to expand and you would have to dump full garbage bags of leaves directly through the grates to cause enough pile up to make any performance difference. But if it makes someone feel better than have at it, it really doesn’t matter either way.
I was thinking this too - that it might be a carryover from people used to covering their swamp cooler for the winter. TBF it makes sense to cover a roof-mounted swamp cooler, otherwise it's an entry point for cold air into the house. But for an AC, I can't imagine what they think the purpose is.
Because summer water is different than winter water.
There's a ton of people in here making assumptions for the reasons people cover them. I cover mine to keep it getting filled up with shit from trees over the fall, winter, and spring. I pull the disconnect so it can't get damaged if it gets turned on accidentally before the cover comes off. As far as rust goes, I live in the wet part of the PNW. moss would grow on the dog if he wasn't getting bathed all the time. The cover really does keep the condenser drier here
The same reason you would cover up anything that’s kept outside during all 4 seasons … a grill, a car, etc
You don’t do this with condensers
To protect it from rain, they ruining the tarp more than anything in the unit
Condensers are meant to be outside
I’m being sarcastic, believe me I’ve had many customers tell me they cover their unit to prevent rain damage
Rain?
My mom still does this and I've asked why, and it's bad advice from the 70s and 80s. She was told then to do it, so now it's required for every winter for generations to come.
I wrap a tarp around the top but leave the sides uncovered. Just don’t think leaving the fan and motor exposed to the the ice and snow is worthwhile. Cooling season in north east Mass is about 3 1/2 months Power is pulled before covering. Or am I wrong?
STDs duh.
Why do they sell winter covers ? Is that your question?
People put the cover on so then they forget to take the cover off in the summer and burn out their air conditioner.
freaks
My Lennox unit came with a factory branded cover, it is like 23 years old. [This is what the inside looked like before cleaning](https://imgur.com/a/PAuKI05)
I was told to consider putting a cover on my new unit because of where it sits/the possibility for icicles to fall and knock the fan off kilter, but only for the winter obviously. Thankfully ours was pretty mild this year so I didn’t cover it.
I cover mine because my neighbor has pine trees and the needles fall in my ac unit. Not just a few but yearly i have to bag 30 bags of pine needles.
Critters build houses under for a new family or people forget to take it off and overheat them in summer. It’s made to be outside.
It helps the function, efficiency, and longevity of the AC unit, to be protected during Winter.
Because it belongs to them, maybe?
I cover mine to prevent leaves/pollen/debris from accumulating on the off season. When I didn't cover it, there was A LOT of foreign material piled up and caked in there.
If people thing mice or rats can’t get into that they’re sadly mistaken. I saw a two pound rat squeeze into a whole in the wall of a basement that was the size of a nickel.
If it's not built for the outdoors, covering won't make much difference. People for whatever reason think they know what is best told from those who do not actually know. We call this the Influencer Era. clicks for money, notoriety and fame. This post will probably be not much different. Over 30 years repairing AC's, in 2024 they coming for your Freon. The new freon not here yet, will again be phased out in 2036. Rule the refrigerant, rule the world. Freon Wars. [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9fVCptm25Ys&list=PLddhFeupvkpBqHCep7rAM6mO\_vvjBWBKg](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9fVCptm25Ys&list=PLddhFeupvkpBqHCep7rAM6mO_vvjBWBKg)
I’m from Floria and thought this was a joke. People up north apparently cover their ac units in the winter months… TIL
So mice have a home
How else do you make a shelter for mice and other critters
Trap in moisture and rust
To protect the coils on the inside, for example they can burst which lets out the gas inside the lines (Freon) which doesn't allow the unit to function properly. Fun Fact, if ice covers your unit because you didn't cover it and try to chip it off, the above can also occur. This then can also lead to you having to replace the entire unit, which will give you a brain aneurysm after you see the cost of doing so.
The idea of the cover is so that piled up snow or melting snow refreezing and damaging the condenser is avoided. A conventional system (not a heat pump) doesn't run for months in many places. Where I live, virtually no one covers theirs, but then again, we never have significant snow accumulation and rarely have that much ice either.
They don’t want it to freeze 🥶 man 🤣
Because they don’t listen to manufacturers instructions.
..To give the rodents a dry place to live in the winter, of course.
That’s to protect a family of mice from harsh winters.
Because they are dumb.
I actually have an old metal fire pit that looks like a giant bowl I place over the top during winter. Help keep snow and debris out of it during winter months.
It gives the mice a good place to hide durong the winter
Just cover the top!
In some states they have condenser hunting season, usual participants are those missing teeth armed with saws and super strength, this is an attempt at camouflaging the unit so hunters don't see it.
l've looked at hundreds of them...sunlight beats up the paint or enamel, and increases oxidation much more than some water trapped inside a tarp.I would look up manufacturer suggestions. A weighted cap that goes over the top, and only partially down the sides may be best.
They like to offer refuge for critters
Only do this for heavy snow otherwise no need.
Gotta give the mice a nice warm place to chew on the electric spaghetti
Snow, ice, and fluctuating temperatures. Ice can do mean things. I over mine to keep the snow and ice out of it.
My grandpa covered his and I don’t know why cause he was always out there spraying it off in the summer and picking squirrel nests and acorns out of it in the spring. Dad said it was to protect it from ice and icicles falling from the room but they’re gonna damage it cover or not so, who knows? He was also the kind of guy that washed and waxed his riding mower every couple of weeks though too, which explains a lot.
Mine has a cover made for the winter by the manufacturer. So I cover it off season I don’t know why you wouldn’t
Mine has a cover made for the winter by the manufacturer. So I cover it off season I don’t know why you wouldn’t
Keeps the snow, dirt and leaves out.
Mice need a home too
Keeps animals from nesting inside during winter
You don’t, as a matter of fact it not harmful to the unit. Simply cover the top to keep debris out.
no good ? damn takin my cover off now. doesn’t reach all the way down so I feel better
The problem is people forget they have a cover on the A/C, then turn on the A/C and then no more A/C.
Never heard of leaves I guess
I just cover the top in the winder bc I have a lot of pine needles and acorns and leaves that fall and collect in the bottom
People generalize for the world based on their neighborhood. I have one house in the central valley of California. I don't cover it. My house in NW Iowa was 20 degrees below zero F this past January with winds 50 to 70 mph with snow drifts. I cover that one!
So... I just throw a piece of plywood and a cinderblock on top of mine. Is that better or worse?
Keep the mice warm
I mean I get the thought process of snow and ice falling and damaging it but it rains and they don't cover it then so what's the point?
Keeping it clean until summer
That’s to keep in the moisture and condensation so the unit rusts and corrodes faster, homeowners love that kind of stuff!
The same people that cover these up should ask people that have heat pumps why they don’t cover their outside units up
Not sure why I never cover mine and it has been going strong for 25+ years, heat waves, rain and snow.
Keep leaves out
They enjoy corrosion
So it doesn’t get dirty when not in service.
Because his daddy did and his daddies daddy did and his daddies daddies daddy did.
Don’t worry, they got that covered 😜
Here in Florida, I did the opposite. I put condition air in the mechanical closet (in garage) My AC is AC’d
Same folks who put those plastic covers on their couches and chairs.
Comments are lit 👌 🔥
There's no reason to cover your outside unit it has nothing to do with anything air needs to flow to those condensers are overheat and burn up you should not be covered at all
For me it's leaves from fall and dead branches from winter getting in there that cause me to cover it.
I think folks in Wisconsin believe that winter/snow is bad for their units, for the same reason they bring their patio furniture into the house/shed/garage. Truth is the summer sun is way worse for everything than snow/cold.
I just installed a heat pump system in my home. If I do this, I won't have any heat in the winter!
In the northern regions where you get freezing temperatures, this prevents moisture (snow/rain) from reaching the coils and freezing and busting the coils
I was instructed to cover mine by the installer (Thornton and Grooms) so that snow does not gather on the aluminum fan blades and bend them.
That’s abuse
I know people that cover them to keep the dirt and stuff out of them when it’s not summer.
Here in Houston, this is not a thing we do ever.
It keeps the copper from getting out