A central air unit in direct sunlight may have to work harder to cool the house. Plants surrounding an outdoor central air conditioning unit serve two purposes for the equipment. The plants block the unattractive unit so it blends in with the landscaping. The greenery also provides shade to cool the unit and make it run more efficiently. The air conditioner needs a buffer of at least 2 feet around the unit to allow access for repairs and air circulation for proper performance. Vines and Trellises A trellis structure with vine plants growing at the base provides shade and hides the unit. Vine plant options include clematis, bougainvillea, trumpet vine, morning glory, jasmine and butterfly vine. Install the trellis at least 2 feet in front of the air conditioning unit. Plant the vines in front of the trellis away from the central air unit. This keeps the plants away so the vines don't grow into the unit and clog it. As the vines grow up the trellis, they provide more shade. Cut back the vines if they overgrow the trellis and move toward the air conditioner.

Potted Plants Potted plants around the air conditioning unit provide greater flexibility than planting directly in the ground. You can easily move the pots if you need access to the air conditioner. The pots also allow you to adjust the amount of space you leave between the plants and the unit to ensure proper air flow. Container gardening in pots works well for flowering plants, vegetables, small bushes and dwarf tree varieties. Choose a mix of plant types of different heights so create a varied look. Position taller potted plants, like trees and bushes, closest to the unit, maintaining the recommended 2 feet of space. Arrange shorter potted plants in front of the tall plants. Shrubs Shrubs provide dense greenery to hide the central air unit. As the bushes grow taller, they also provide plenty of shade for the air conditioner. Consider the mature size of the shrubs to choose the planting location. You want at least 2 feet between the tips of the branches and the air conditioner so the shrubs themselves should be planted further away to allow for branch growth.

Avoid potentially invasive shrubs like bridal broom, scarlet wisteria and cotoneaster. Better options include redberry, Jerusalem sage, forsythia, golden current or sandankwa viburnum. Planting Tips The plants you grow around the air conditioning unit may drop leaves, seeds and other debris that enters the coils on the unit. Clean up the debris on and around the unit regularly to prevent problems. Trim the plants as needed to keep them away from the unit. Bushes, in particular, need regular pruning to maintain the shape and appropriate spacing between the branches and the central air unit. References San Marcos Growers: Vine ListU.S. Department of Energy: Maintaining Your Air ConditionerMidAmerican Energy: Energy Efficiency CoolingCalifornia Invasive Plant Council: Shrubs of the Bay Area Region Photo Credits Comstock/Comstock/Getty Images Suggest a CorrectionThis article is from an archived issue and may contain out-of-date information. Please refer to the main Your Business page for more current articles.

Branch Circuits--Required Receptacle Outlets, Part XII April 2003 © 2003 - 2016. All Rights Reserved.Electrical Contractor: 3 Bethesda Metro Center, Suite 1100, Bethesda, MD. My office room is in the front of the house and facing south. It gets hot very fast during hot days (even in spring). It is a fairly small room and I have computers there attributing to heat. how much is a motor for ac unitThere's a small double pane window with cloth blinds. how to determine size of central ac unit neededThere's a central AC but running it full time just cool a small room does not seem very efficient.window ac units problems What are the ways to reduce amount of heat from the direct sun hitting the wall? A good deciduous tree helps, but it will take a while for that to work.

Just be sure not to plant it too close to the foundation. Light blocking blinds are very good at blocking both heat and light. This may not be good if you're trying to work in the room. Insulation helps if you have an attic above, just don't block the ventilation from the soffits. However, the important thing to realize is that cooling systems spend a significant effort overcoming the heating effects of people themselves. And a couple computers doesn't help. No matter how much you block the outside heat, the heat being generated is still there. Therefore, make sure your vents are adjusted to cool the rooms you use (closing doors also helps), and direct most of your cooling to the upstairs. If that still isn't enough, try a small fan in the doorway blowing in cool air from the floor (which will push out the hot air above). Edit: Couple other thoughts. Get an IR thermometer to check all your walls and various other heat sources. You may discover a patch of uninsulated wall or find that the window it letting in more than you thought.

Second, check your thermostat to see if it has a setting for how much the temperature will vary before it cuts on. Mine is an odd key combination that's buried in the back of the manual. If you're going well over an hour between AC cycles, you'll reduce hot spots by reducing this setting. There are several options. One of the easiest ways is a shade or awning over the window. (This is why Australian outback homesteads have deep verandahs.) Another method is an external shutter, but this will reduce the light a lot, as well. You could also go for a window coating. There are a number to choose from, ranging from an aluminium film to a fine mesh. The goal is to reflect away the heat whilst not losing too much light. with a small room, it could be very efficient to use a small window A/C unit to localize the cooling and reduce the workload on your main A/C. as far as i know, the best affordable result is passive solar shading that will use the warmth of the winter sun and rejects it in the summer.

the specific design is dependent on your latitude and the method of construction, but it should look something like this, and this sketch can also clear the general idea. solar passive techniques are the best way to handle this issue, and it will save you a great amount of money for the long run, & don't forget to mention the co2 emissions and environmental impact. here you can find some reference to a bunch of ideas in this field, and i recommend you to read the passive solar energy book. it is a MUST. i'm not talking about shading the windows, but really shading the walls. and you can consider also covering the wall with a deciduous vine that grows fast (like passion fruit) - of course, it depend of your latitude, soil and etc. My office in my old house was on the west side of a brick house. The sun would shine on the bricks all day. The bricks would heat up and make the room warm even when the sun had gone down. I put a ceiling fan in the room. The slight circulation of air in the small room helped tremendously.