Should I cover my air conditioner for winter? It's difficult to find an appropriate cover, but finding a cover for an evaporation cooler is easy (and because they allow for air flow from the outdoors, it makes sense). See this answer for things to do before winter hits, where it's not clear whether an air conditioner should be covered or not. I don't want to let water build up inside and given my climate, it will freeze and thaw repeatedly which can be very damaging. On the other hand, I don't want to create a moisture barrier that leads to other problems. Any official word on this? I have never covered mine and this article also seems to recommend not covering it: Your central air conditioning unit consists of a compressor and condensing unit placed outdoors in aThese units, built to resist the weather, generally do notIn fact, covers can cause problems because they trap moisture and create an inviting winter home for small animals.

Professionals who service the units tell me that most of the damage they see in spring was caused by rodents living in the units and chewing on If your air conditioner is subject to falling ice or other debris, you could cover its top with a piece of plywood, plastic or metal held in place by ahow to replace a wall ac unit They make a great point that a cover would provide a perfect winter home for animals which would cause damage to your air conditioner.how to install indoor ac unit I cover mine in the winter using a single unopened trash bag and some duct tape. ac home unit partsThe bag is the right size to cover just the top and not much of the sides. This allows ventilation on the sides while keeping snow and ice from entering from above.

With the duct tape, it's just a strip down each corner and then I run a band of tape around the perimeter of the bag to reduce the risk of it blowing away. I think the important tip that Jeff's link mentions is to not completely seal the unit, but simply prevent damage from above. Most people who advocate covering mention that debris, ice, and snow can get into your air conditioner in the winter if it's not covered. Plus it'll end up more weather-beaten if left uncovered. Never covered mine in the 31 years I've had it and I live-in upstate New York--brutal winters. no need to cover it.It's designed to be outdoors.Around here there's more damage done in the spring with the cotton wood seeds plugging the condenser. It is good to cover the top 1/4 to 1/2 of the air conditioner. This stops moisture from entering through the top and then freezing/thawing repeatedly through the winter. First, although paint technology is very advanced, constant expansion and contraction of painted metal will eventually lead to cracking and this rusting of the metal.

Secondly, there are threaded connections between the tubing that goes from the compressor and condenser/evaporator cooling coils. Water can enter these threads and expand and contract eventually causing a leak and thus loss of gas. Covering 1/4 to 1/2 of the unit will keep the interior of the unit under the same temperature/humidity conditions as the outside air. Although this cover will keep the interior of the unit dryer, it will not provide as good a quality of home for critters as if the unit was covered completely. There will still be good ventilation of icy air to make animules look for better digs.Browse other questions tagged winterizing air-conditioner or ask your own question.Please Select Username to appear on public areas of the site like community and recipe comments.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.

According to my research and to the HVAC professionals I’ve spoken with, here’s the right way to winterize your air conditioner. Step 1 – Clean out the area surrounding your unit. Make 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.