When you ask different manufacturers whether or not you have to cover your AC unit in summer and especially in the winter months when it is not in use, you will not get a definite answer. They will set the ball in your court saying that it is all a personal decision and preference.
Well, honestly, most of the manufacturers will not recommend covering the outside unit of an air conditioner specifically. There are people who use partial ac covers such as a piece of plywood placed over the top of the unit and leaving the sides open. This they do because:
- The cover on the top will prevent the leaves and debris from entering the unit and
- The open sides will prevent too much of moisture from accumulating inside the unit.
Done properly and if the plywood stays during high winds, this can surely be an added layer of protection for the unit, which is good for increasing the functionality of an AC unit.
Use of air conditioner covers
The concept of using air conditioner covers are relatively new, and strange as well to some. When you walk into Home Depot, Lowe’s or even at any of your local hardware store, you will come across a wide variety of such air conditioner covers that you may not even have thought they existed.
There are several people in the HVAC industry who debate on the need for air conditioner covers. The end result: there is none!
Therefore, when it comes to looking for the feasibility of using air conditioner covers, what you can do at the least is to know about the pros and cons of it so that you can make a decision as to what is best for you and your air conditioner to do.
Benefits of using a cover
There are lots of benefits of using an air conditioner cover. The list includes:
- It will keep the coils of the air conditioner coils a little bit cleaner
- It will run and function more efficiently in the next summer season when it is turned on again
- It will save the unit from the salt air if you live near the shore
- It will keep the unit, especially the coils a bit more protected during storms
- It will keep off the yard waste, leaves, sticks, and other debris causing damage to the unit when they blow into it along with the high winds and
- It will prevent water from entering or resting on the unit directly dripping on the on coils and freezing especially if there are a lot of freeze-thaw cycles in your area over the winter months.
In short, a proper air conditioner cover will protect your unit from damages small or big.
Reasons not to cover
Well, few people may also suggest you not to cover your air conditioner due to specific reasons such as it may trap the moisture inside which will create a high humidity environment. This will damage the unit due to the “greenhouse” effect consequently created inside the unit.
