If you’re like me (and thousands of other homeowners), you have a set list of chores you do around the house depending on the season. Now that fall is in full swing, I’ve started working on prepping my house for the winter before I’m buried neck-deep in snow and seasonal affective disorder. One of the first things I make sure I do is winterize my central air conditioner. I’m not joking when I tell you how horrible it is to start your air conditioner on that first hot day of spring, and nothing but hot air blows out. Anything over 72 degrees makes me start to twitch, and once we’re up in the 80s, it’s game over. So you can imagine how important it is for me to make sure my air conditioner is well taken care of. Conventional wisdom tells us it’s important to cover and wrap your outdoor unit like it’s a Christmas present for a nosy relative. I remember my dad taking a tarp to his, and wrapping it tight with bungee cords like it was his job. And if you do an online search about how to winterize your air conditioner, most sites will tell you to do the same.

In order to make sure I can have my precious, precious air conditioning in the summer, I’ve researched the heck out of this idea. And I’ll have you know, just because this method is popular, that doesn’t mean it’s right. why is there water around my ac unitAccording to my research and to the HVAC professionals I’ve spoken with, here’s the right way to winterize your air conditioner.cheap outdoor ac unit Step 1 – Clean out the area surrounding your unit. how to fix ac unit in houseMake sure there aren’t any leaves, sticks, branches, bushes, clutter or debris in the two-to-three foot radius around your air conditioner. This will help prevent clogging, rust and damage to your unit. Plus, it discourages any animals from taking up a cozy residence in your system.

Fact – animal damage is one of the main causes of damage to air-conditioning units. Step 2 – Cover the top of your unit with plywood. Get a large square of plywood and set it on top of the system. Put a brick or a large rock on top of that to keep it in place, and voila! This will help keep any falling leaves, snow or ice out of your system while preventing damage from snow and sleet.No covering the unit. You see, by covering the unit so tightly, you wind up trapping in a lot of the things you’re trying to keep out, like moisture, condensation and any residual debris. Think about it this way: the unit was made to stay outside, so don’t worry about protecting it from the outside. Keeping your air-conditioning unit in good working order doesn’t take a long time, but can have long-term benefits. If you take care of your system throughout the winter, you can rest assured you’ll have a crisp and cool summer!This is a question we’re asked repeatedly. While we’re a little early for this coming winter, we thought we might mention it to you now so that you can be prepared for next season in advance.

The Weather in New Jersey is definitely seasonal. Even though we’re experiencing strange weather patterns we can still count on cold winters and hot summers and spring and fall, well, somewhere in between. There’s rain, snow, sleet, hail, and lots and lots (hopefully) of sun. We usually run the whole gamut of temperatures and weather conditions in any given year. We protect our plants from the cold, sometimes wrapping them with burlap. We often bring in outdoor furniture, place heaters in our ponds, drain and cover our pools, because in New Jersey it's imperative that anything that has to be left outside be adequately protected. But, when it comes to an outside air conditioning unit, well….the story may be very different. Here are the Pros: • A cover can protect the painted outside cover of the unit • A cover can keep the rain, snow, ice, and other precipitation from getting inside the unit • A cover can prevent small leaves, branches and other objects from getting caught in the fins of the unit

• A cover can allow condensation to rust your unit! Moisture can be trapped between the cabinet and the cover you have ever-so-gently and lovingly placed on your unit. Moisture will lead to rust • A cover can promote mold and mildew that will damage your unit• A cover can create a home for insects and other vermin that want to come in from the cold An alternative: Place a small sheet of plywood over the top of the unit. You can hold this down with a few bricks or a couple of heavy rocks. Ok, so you’re not convinced? If you absolutely feel the need to use a cover…..please don’t use plastic of any sort. Instead, buy something made out of a breathable material and place it on the top only of the outdoor condensing unit. Hold this cover in place with the brick or rocks we talked about earlier, but, be sure to leave the sides open so the air can properly circulate around the unit. And, while we’re talking about air conditioning condensing units…. It’s important to have your equipment serviced annually to keep it running efficiently.

Annual AC Service may help you avoid costly air conditioning repairs. Check out our website to learn about The Benefits of Annual Service for your Heating and Air Conditioning or to Schedule heating or air conditioning repair or maintenance services. Have you schedule your annual heating tune-up service? Live in our service area?Only if the loss is a sudden accident will homeowners insurance pay. When they do, homeowners insurance usually pay. When appliances in the home wear out, homeowners insurance does not pay. This general rule applies to furnaces and air conditioning units. The reason for replacement dictates whether insurance companies pay claims. Insurance pays when a tree falls in a storm and strikes an outdoor unit. Insurance does not pay when the same unit stops working after 10 years. Typical Homeowners Insurance Insurance companies offer three standard homeowners insurance policies known as HO-1, HO-2 and HO-3. HO-1, which is seldom used, is a basic policy covering 11 perils such as fire, windstorm and theft.

The typical policy is either HO-2, which covers the same 11 perils plus 7 more, or HO-3, which covers most perils including those 18. Both provide the same coverage, or non-coverage, for furnaces and air conditioning units. Wear and Tear Wear-and-tear does not make the list of perils covered under the typical homeowners insurance policy. Furnaces and air conditioning units wear out. Constant use of the parts leads to unit failure. Parts must be replaced, and eventually so does the unit. Homeowners insurance does not pay for these losses. Accidents An outdoor unit like a heat pump is susceptible to wind and storm damage which is among the listed perils of a homeowners insurance policy. Besides fallen trees, high winds toss objects through the air and tear parts of a home loose. Any of these striking the unit could damage it too much to be repaired. The homeowner would be entitled to a new heat pump. Sudden Occurrences Homeowners insurance pays when pipes freeze. If this happens to a furnace or air conditioning unit, the homeowner has a valid claim.