When it comes to air conditioners, the debate about whether or not to cover your unit never comes to an end. One side says that air conditioner units are made to be outside and don’t need extra protection, so covering your unit is more likely to hurt it than to help it.
The others tend to take the “better safe than sorry” approach to AC protection and focus on keeping the air conditioner’s efficiency up. Since the weather is more unpredictable than ever, you should know both sides of the argument to make a good choice.
Does it help to cover your AC unit?
The AC industry has been debating whether or not you should cover your AC unit in the winter. In theory, it makes sense. If you don’t live where it gets hot in the winter, you won’t need your air conditioner, so why not cover it up to protect it from the weather?
Many air conditioner experts say that you don’t need to cover your air conditioner because it’s made to handle bad weather like rain, wind, snow, and ice. Even though that may be true in ’97, there are times when you should cover your air conditioner unit.
Air conditioners are made to work in harsh conditions.
Air conditioner units are made to work outside to handle any weather, even the cold winters in Minnesota. The condenser, the hard box on the outside of the unit, has a finish that will last for a long time. The condenser is made to last through rain, sleet, snow, or hail. The coils in your air conditioner are also made to work in harsh weather.
Most air conditioner units don’t need to be covered when they’re not in use because they’re made of good materials and have a good finish. Most air conditioner manufacturers say that you shouldn’t cover it. Even so, many people think it’s a good idea.
When should you put a cover on your AC?
Cover your air conditioner if a snowstorm is coming.
People, where snow is common, should follow the same advice: take a few minutes to cover your air conditioner if you know a blizzard is coming. Keeping the extra snow out of your air conditioner can help, especially if the temperature rises above freezing during the day and then drops below freezing at night.
Wrapping it Up
Most people probably don’t need to do anything more than cover the top of the unit to protect it from falling debris. Putting a piece of plywood on top of your air conditioner is simple. Keep in mind that the location and surroundings of your home could be the only thing that makes you decide to cover your unit completely. You might have other reasons for covering the unit for the season.
Covering an air conditioner in the winter might help it look newer for longer, but it’s unnecessary. Your air conditioner was made to withstand the weather, so you don’t have to worry about it this winter.
