The outdoor condenser unit of your AC plays a crucial role in cooling your home. Depending on your AC’s temperature settings, it takes the warm or hot air from the surroundings and cools it down. So, many people might want to make the surroundings of their outdoor AC units as cool as possible.
The air around the outdoor unit can get quite warm, especially during the summer. There are different views regarding whether shading the condenser unit would be worth it.
Here, we have some reasons and uses for covering your outdoor unit and letting it remain uncovered.
Does Your AC’s Outdoor Condenser Unit need a Cover?
As you might know, the condenser coils inside the outdoor unit are responsible for cooling the air. The unit’s exterior is the only cover that these coils usually need. In other words, your outdoor unit already has its essential components covered. However, many people might still shade the unit to keep the air around it cool.
Are you considering shading your AC’s outside unit? From what it seems, that would not be necessary, but you can still proceed. If you want to shade the outdoor unit, you must approach it in a specific way; otherwise, it might affect your AC’s performance instead of improving it.
How would Shading Your Outdoor AC Unit Help You?
The main reason for shading the outdoor unit would be to cool the air around it, making it easier for the condenser to cool the air for your home. This is the main reason why people consider covering their outdoor AC units. However, many do it in a way that will affect the appliance’s performance.
You can expect the following benefits by shading your outdoor condenser unit correctly:
- It Increases Your AC’s Efficiency
The latest AC models are quite efficient in cooling your home. However, they might need to work more than usual on extremely hot days. Now, that would affect their efficiency, and you can shade the outside unit to prevent that. Make sure to follow the right way to shade your outdoor unit, which we shall see later on.
- Lowers Cooling Costs
You might increase the cooling costs when the outdoor temperature is very high. After all, your AC needs more effort to cool your home in such conditions. Shading the outdoor unit can help significantly reduce the cooling costs in that situation. Moreover, it should also help you maintain a reasonable cooling cost throughout the year.
- Prevents Your Walls from Heating the Air
Brick walls can absorb heat and make the air around the exterior unit warm. You can shade the wall area around the outdoor unit to avoid that. So, you might need to set up a higher shade than you might have planned. Most people end up shading only the outer condenser unit; you should avoid that mistake.
Can Shading the Outdoor Condenser Unit Harm It?
Shading your AC’s outdoor unit will not always necessarily have good results. So, you must ensure it would be the right thing to do in your case. Beware of the following disadvantages of shading your outdoor condenser unit:
- It can Reduce the Airflow
Shading often occupies the space near the outdoor unit, which restricts the airflow. Now, that might give you the opposite result of what you expected. So, you must take the necessary steps to ensure sufficient airflow to the outdoor unit. You must keep in mind that low airflow can reduce the condensing unit’s efficiency.
- It can Raise the Temperature around the Condenser
The condenser unit is also responsible for releasing warm air from your home. A shade can often act as an obstacle to your AC in performing this task. It might prevent the air that the condenser releases from moving as far away as possible. As a result, it would stay near the unit and raise the temperature around it.
What is the Best Way to Shade Your Outdoor Condenser Unit?
Is your condenser unit placed on your home’s north side? Then, you would not need to shade it since it would remain cool during the day. If you still prefer to shade it, you must plant some trees or bushes near the unit. This will provide a natural shade that is best for your outdoor condenser.
For south-facing outdoor units, you must consider growing tall trees. You can go for shorter trees if the unit is on any other side of your house.
Do you want to shade your windows along with the outdoor condenser unit? Then, you must not plant the trees at a distance of more than 20 feet away from them.
Also, make sure that the trees are comparably much taller than the windows. Apart from providing shade, the trees and bushes would also keep the temperature cool. As a result, your outdoor condenser unit would not need much effort to provide optimal cooling.
How to Protect Your AC Unit from Overheating?
As in the case of all appliances, heat can significantly damage your AC. So, you must ensure optimal protection for your air conditioner during summers or heat waves. You can also take various effective steps to prevent overheating on your AC.
Try out the following ways to prevent your AC model from overworking:
- Run the AC only when Required
Do you leave your AC running even when it is not necessary? If yes, then you must consider turning it off until you need to use it. This can help you prevent an overload on both your air conditioner units, both outdoor and indoor. Make sure to turn off the AC whenever your house is empty.
- Prevent the Sun from Heating Your Home
The Sun can heat your home considerably during summer and increase the workload on your AC. So, you must take the necessary steps to prevent the sunlight from heating your home. Use your blinds or curtains, and consider getting heavy ones if required.
- Use Fans to Cool the Air
You must also consider using the fans in your home to keep out the heat. They can be quite useful in cooling and circulating the air and make your air conditioner’s cooling task much simpler and quicker. This will help your AC unit to perform more effectively and avoid overheating.
- Set a Smart Schedule for Your AC
The latest AC models allow you to set a schedule with programmable thermostats. This helps you to prevent your air conditioner from overworking and avoids overheating as a result. So, you must consider setting a smart schedule for your AC to start and stop at the appropriate times.
- Get Regular Professional AC Maintenance
Your AC unit will face various issues if you do not provide regular servicing. Call a technician for inspection whenever your AC faces any issues. Getting timely repairs can prevent complex issues and keep your air conditioner running for a long time. It will also maintain your AC’s efficiency and prevent overheating on it.
4 Signs of a Faulty Outdoor Condenser Unit
You must look out for any problems with the outdoor unit and fix them on time. Here are some common signs that your AC’s outdoor condenser needs a repair:
- Unusual Noises
Does your outdoor condenser unit sound strange while running? In that case, you must get it inspected as it probably has an issue. Depending on the type of sound, it might indicate various problems with the unit. You usually need an experienced professional to repair your AC’s outdoor condenser unit.
- Bad Cooling Performance
You must make sure that you have set the appropriate temperature on your thermostat. If the problem persists, you might want to get a thorough inspection of your outdoor condenser. Repairing the unit can fix the cooling performance effectively in many cases. This issue might also indicate a refrigerant leak, and you must call a technician without further delay.
- Frozen Components
Do you find some parts of your outdoor condenser unit frozen? Then, it might indicate a refrigerant leak, among other possible issues. So, you must immediately contact an AC technician if you face this problem. You would find the condenser performing better after you deal with this issue effectively.
- Electrical Problems
The outdoor unit might sometimes fail to start for various reasons. This is the most obvious sign of a faulty outdoor AC unit. In such situations, you might need to fix or replace the capacitor or wiring. In any case, you must only rely on a professional to resolve this issue.
Get Expert Help to Fix AC Unit – Call Urban Clap
You must find a location with proper airflow and low temperature for your outdoor condenser unit. This will prevent many problems that you might have faced otherwise. Also, you must regularly clean the surroundings of the outdoor unit to maintain its performance. However, if it gets too hectic for you, then feel free to contact the experts associated with Urban Clap. They have been fixing major to minor issues without any downtime.