Table of Contents
22 Ways You Can Hide Your Air Conditioner Unit Outside Build a Wooden Cover. Get Creative With an AC House. Hide It Behind the Bushes. Make a Box With a Door. Stack Planter Boxes in Front of the Unit. Place the Outdoor Unit Inside Aluminum Slats. Grow Vines Around Outdoor AC Unit. Create a Shed.
What can I use to cover my air conditioner?
How to cover an air conditioner for winter (the RIGHT way) Use a cover made of breathable material. 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. Install a wood awning or shelter attached to the building that covers the top of the unit.
How do you cover an unsightly air conditioner?
Hide AC Unit with a Shabby Chic Shutter Screen An old shutter screen is the perfect repurposed fence for hiding your AC unit. Paint an old screen a vibrant color, and wrap it around the outdoor AC unit. Check out these air-conditioning mistakes you can avoid.
Can I cover the top of my AC unit?
Most manufacturers do not recommend covering your A/C unit. Air conditioners that operate year round are built to withstand an outdoor environment and don’t require coverage.
Should outside air conditioners be covered?
Outdoor cooling units are built to endure these harsh winter weather conditions, which eliminates the need for a cover. Moisture (water) can freeze the air conditioner’s condenser coils, which can cause damage over time. However, there is no way to keep moisture out 100% of the time.
Should I cover my AC unit in the summer?
If you’re considering covering your outside AC unit in the summer, whether to protect it from bad weather or to possibly save energy, the reality is that you should never cover your AC unit – not even during bad weather.
Can I paint my air conditioner?
Painting your air conditioner may improve its aesthetic appeal, but it could cause other issues if it’s not done carefully. Basic surface prep, followed by a couple of coats of spray paint may restore a pleasing appearance to an aging unit.
How do I decorate my AC unit?
Here are some excellent suggestions on how to decorate you air conditioner so it can look as cool as it feels. Give it some googly eyes. Add stickers. Add festive tinsel or garlands. Paint some cool designs. Cover it with Polaroid pictures. Lay some fluffy fake snow on it. Bedazzle it with rhinestones. Fashion a skirt for it.
Does shading an AC unit help?
According to the U.S. Department of Energy, shading your air conditioner with trees can make it as much as 10 percent more efficient. A large awning on that side of the house could help keep the air around your air conditioner cooler. Awnings over other windows could help the cool air inside your home stay cool.
Should I cover my AC unit from rain?
In most cases, the condenser unit should never be covered. Rain cannot harm the condenser, as long as the moisture can evaporate freely, and neither can the cooler weather of a Florida winter. Otherwise, simply keep the condenser free of debris, and rinse the dirt out periodically.
Should I cover my air conditioning unit in the winter?
Many AC experts believe covering your air conditioner is unnecessary, as the units have been built to withstand extreme weather such as rain, wind, snow and ice.
How do you shade an air conditioner?
Plant at least two or three trees on the side of your house where your AC is located. For example, a six- to eight-foot-tall deciduous tree will provide shade for your unit within a year of planting it. Plant a series of low-growing bushes and shrubs around the condenser, but not too close.
Should I cover my window air conditioner?
You should never cover your cooling unit completely because if you do, you are inviting trouble. Any cover that will cover your unit completely will end up tapping moisture from within. This, in turn, will cause corrosion, rust and further damage.
Can you cover an AC unit with a deck?
Building A Deck Over An Air Conditioner Your best option is to move the unit to another location out of the way. Most AC manufacturers recommend maintaining a minimum 60″ uninterrupted clearance above the compressor to allow for hot air to exhaust from the top of the unit.
Can you spray paint an outside AC unit?
Spray appliance paint on the exterior of the unit. Stand approximately 18 inches away from the HVAC unit for the best coverage. Use light, continual strokes, so the paint doesn’t drip or clump. Allow the first coat of paint to dry for 30 minutes.
How do you paint a rusty air conditioner?
How to Paint a Rusty Air Conditioner Remove the rust off the air conditioner. Scrape the surface with a metal brush, wash with detergent, then rinse and dry it. Paint the air conditioner with a rust-inhibiting primer and two coats of exterior paint to prevent it from rusting again.
Should my outside AC unit be in the shade?
Energy.gov confidently states that “shading the outside unit can increase its efficiency by up to 10%.” Even house-savvy BobVila.com proclaims, “Shading your air conditioner can reduce energy costs by as much as 50 percent.” AC condensers have a harder time blowing heat from their coolant when it’s hot outside.
How do I protect my outdoor air conditioner from sunlight?
How to Protect an AC Condenser From the Sun Plant trees and shrubs around your air conditioner. Place a protective cover over the air conditioning unit. Position an awning over the AC unit to further prevent the sun from hitting the unit for any length of time.
Is it OK to spray water on your air conditioner?
The good news is that you absolutely can spray water on your air conditioner if it needs a cleaning, and nothing bad will happen. Spraying water on your AC’s condenser also helps it run more efficiently. In fact, your condenser needs a regular spritzing in order to keep doing a good job.
How do I protect my outside AC unit from rain?
Outdoor AC Unit In Rain: How To Protect Your Air Conditioner Cover Your HVAC. Two of the biggest enemies for HVAC units are hail and debris. Avoid Using Your HVAC During A Storm. Install Your HVAC In An Elevated Area. Keep Your Yard Spotless. Inspect Your Unit Before Turning It On. ABC Can Protect Your Biggest Investment.
Can rain damage AC outdoor unit?
The outdoor portion of an A/C system is built to withstand the rain, and even severe rainfall will not damage it. If your air conditioner’s outside unit becomes partially or fully submerged, it probably will be destroyed.
What happens if you run your AC with the cover on?
Running an air conditioner with its cover on doesn’t allow for this exchange of heat and condensation. It will put undo stress on the unit, which can damage internal components that keep the air conditioner running. Leaving the cover on can cause the unit to overheat since the heat has nowhere to go.
