The Pros & Cons of Covering Your Air Conditioning Unit

The air conditioning unit plays a crucial role in regulating the home's temperature and giving the whole household the utmost comfort. It provides cool air to keep the family comfortable through proper circulation, especially during the hotter months. However, during the cold season, the chances are that you won't need to turn your unit on as your furnace or heater will take over.

At this stage, you may be wondering how to keep your AC unit, especially the exterior component, protected from snow during winter. Is it best to cover it with some protective materials?

In the sections below, we will be answering this question and the advantages and disadvantages of covering your AC unit:

Advantages

Let's first take a look at how covering your AC unit helps. Take note of the following information:

• Protection from falling debris: This is the primary benefit of AC covering as falling debris may hit your unit and cause potential damages. As you should be well-aware, icicles and ice dams are well-known during winter, which may fall from the roof and impact your unit. The same is true for falling tree limbs that won't be able to endure the snow's weight. Ultimately, having protective shields will make all the difference in maintaining your AC's functions.
• Prevention of snow buildup: Frozen water and snow can be the biggest culprits of AC damage during winter. When it gets cold enough, it's easy for your unit to have a buildup where the frozen snow's weight and pressure impact your unit's fins and interiors. This problem particularly occurs in areas with several feet of snow throughout the winter months. By having a cover for your unit during the winter, you'll prevent snow from getting accumulated in your unit to prevent unwanted damages.

Disadvantages

Now that you know the advantages of covering your unit, here's how doing so can have detrimental effects. Consider the following details:

• Potential pest infestation:

This is the most pervasive problem that has to do with covering your unit during the cold season. As you may or may not be aware, pests like rodents and small animals need to seek refuge during the winter. The same is true for insects like ants, termites, fleas, and wasps. If you cover your unit entirely, its concealed features make it an ideal habitat for pests that will help them get by during the cold months. Not only do they cause damages to your property, but they will also compromise the health of the whole household, due to the presence of these pesky pests.

Conclusion

At this point, you now know the advantages and disadvantages of covering your AC unit. Although doing this protects your unit from debris and prevents snow buildup, it may still lead to potential pest infestation.

That said, the best remedy to unwanted problems is not to cover your unit entirely; instead, you can simply put a sheet of plywood on top of it. The truth is, covering your AC during winter isn't really imperative, as many modern models are designed to endure the harsh outdoor elements. What's more important are regular inspection, cleaning, and inspection to ensure your unit will last for as long as possible.

As mentioned, your AC unit requires regular checkups and upkeep, whether or not you cover it. That said, let our cooling specialists or heating contractors in Edmonton look into your HVAC system! At Soul Mechanical, we provide HVAC services in Edmonton and 24-hour refrigeration and plumbing services for residential and commercial properties. Get in touch with us today to see how we can help!