A cover protects an air conditioning unit during winter months. An outside air conditioning unit, often referred to as an HVAC unit, is a lifesaver during hot summer months. During the winter, you may want to winterize the unit to protect it against cold weather, snow and ice. Winterizing the unit also protects it against rust damage. A few protective measures can keep the air conditioning unit in your real estate investment in top working condition. Find the air conditioning circuit near your unit. Usually, it has a plastic or metal lid that covers the electrical circuit. Open the lid and flip the switch to turn the unit off. This prevents the unit from turning on during an unusually warm winter day, keeping water out of the unit that could potentially freeze. Wash the air conditioning unit with a hose to remove bird droppings, dead bugs, dirt and dust. Remove leaves, small branches and grass clippings from the unit. Allow the unit to dry completely. Install foam pipe covers around exterior exposed pipes.

Cut the foam to fit the length and diameter of the pipe. The foam covers insulate the pipes and protect them against freezing temperatures. Wrap duct tape around the foam covers to hold them in place. Cover the HVAC unit with a plastic or vinyl cover. Choose a cover that is waterproof. Some manufacturers make covers that are specifically designed for air conditioners, but you can use any plastic or vinyl covering that fits over the unit. Wrap vinyl ropes or bungee cords around the air conditioning cover to keep it secure. Make sure the cover is wrapped tightly so it doesn't blow away in strong winds. Check your air conditioner once a week to make sure the cover is secure. Brush water, snow and ice off the unit. Remove twigs, pinecones and leaves from the cover. Things You Will Need Plastic or vinyl cover Bungee cords or vinyl rope Foam pipe covers Duct tape Tip References Michael Bonsby Heating and Air Conditioning: How to Winterize Your Air Conditioner Photo Credits Comstock/Comstock/Getty Images Suggest a Correction

Window air conditioners and winter: how do they mix? May 22, 2007   Subscribe I'm probably going to need to leave my air conditioner in the window during the '07-'08 winter, and I have a few questions about air conditioners and winter. I live in a studio in Chicago's north Uptown. ac units used for saleI bought my first air conditioner last summer, a Frigidaire FAC109P1A. best window ac unit brandsWhen the weather got colder last winter, my building's superintendent was nice enough to take it down and store it in his own storage unit. central ac unit is not levelHowever, since the weather's getting warmer, he's putting it back up this Thursday, and he's indicated that unfortunately he won't be able to store it again this coming fall.

I've bought an air conditioner heavy duty support bracket. Although we won't be able to screw the support to the window frame itself -- the frame isn't deep enough -- the superintendent is going to screw it to a piece of wood that he'll then wedge underneath the air conditioner. This will hopefully correct one sort-of-a-flaw from last year: the air conditioner wasn't quite flush with the window frame. Last summer, the outside part of the air conditioner was at a slight angle tilted toward the ground, which meant that inside, the bottom part of the A/C stuck out from the window a little bit on a diagonal towards the floor. (I'm not sure if that's clear, visually. Let me know if it's not.) The windows are perhaps only a year or two old, and very good. With them both closed, I barely had to open the radiator last winter. Additionally, I bought some spongy weather seal material to put around the air conditioner. I am nervous about leaving the air conditioner in the window over next winter, thanks to the extremes of Chicago winters.

I have this vision of a big ol' nasty Chicago blizzard rolling into town one morning or afternoon while I'm at work, or while I'm visiting family for Christmas, and then coming home to find the apartment freezing and my cat dead of hypothermia. I realize that could well be an irrational concern, but if so the irrationality stems from not understanding how this works. I do know that many people do leave their air conditioners up and in the window during the winter, so obviously, that sort of thing doesn't usually happen ... but I don't understand why it doesn't happen. (1) How does the way air conditioners are built prevent winter cold from entering in the apartment? Since air conditioners in the summer run outside air over freon and then vent the chilled air into the inside, what structurally prevents that outside-to-inside airflow from happening come winter? (2) The accordion material that expands to fill the window: is that material usually strong/insulated enough to prevent outside snow, wind, and temperatures from entering the apartment?

It seems like you have to have a window plus a storm window in place to stop wintry elements from coming in; how can that accordion material do the job? Also, I'm wondering if people have opinions on, or experience with: (3) Evidently air conditioner covers exist (such as this quilted one), and sometimes people even use garbage bags. There seems to be some debate as to whether or not it's a good idea or not: opponents say it causes condensation problems inside the unit that can damage your unit's internals; proponents seem to believe it prevents the cold from damaging your equipment. Are they good or bad, do they make a temperature difference in the apartment, and with the ones for the outside, how the heck do you apply them? Lean out the neighboring window? I'm on a first floor apartment (not ground, but one up) -- would I grab a ladder? (4) One of the reasons I'm leaving it in the window is because I have nowhere to store it. I have a small-to-middlin' studio; I don't foresee moving into a one-bedroom anytime soon.

I think if I had to store it inside the apartment, I'd buy a really big-ass plastic container from the Container Store and then maybe drape a blanket over the container or something so it could serve as a table. But any other creative ideas for air conditioner storage in a tight space? External storage is exorbitant in the city, and my landlord doesn't offer extra storage space to building residents (not to mention someone might run off with it). (5) This air conditioner weighs more than I'm able to lift. I don't know the upper boundary of my lifting ability, but I know that I can carry 50 pounds (the weight of a box full of reams of paper) and walk 30-50 feet with it, and that that feels near my maximum. (Weight training isn't the worst of ideas, I know, but that's for another time.) I've seen stronger men than I struggle with it (probably also due to its width and breadth). If given enough notice, I'm sure one way or the other (my super, Craigslist, etc.), I could enlist enough help to move the unit, but I wonder how I might handle moving it alone in an emergency situation.