Why covers on your outdoor AC units are important.

It’s officially Spring and with that comes all types of spring cleaning and home maintenance. One of those items is the outdoor AC unit for your central air should your home have one or the one you’re looking to buy has one. Seeing a cover over these might not standout but it can tell a lot about its condition and care. It’s something Butler Home Inspection, LLC looks out for on an inspection because covers are truly beneficial and what we recommend having.

A good rule of thumb is to keep these units covered when not in use; generally in the cold winter months. When it comes time to do maintenance on these units in preparation for the warmer months when they’ll be in use, a properly covered one can make the maintenance easier to preform and extend the overall health of the unit.

So what ways does having a cover help?

A covering helps keep out unwanted moisture from snow and rain. Repeated moisture, especially over multiple winter seasons can cause unwanted rusting, of the exterior and interior components that can cause the unit to underperform or not at all.

The covering provides some insulation as well. This can be beneficial to more fragile components inside the unit that may be more prone to breaks, fraying or decay when exposed to harsher elements.

They keep out unwanted debris like leaves and dirt. These can impact the interior components and it’s more work for the HVAC tech who has to service it to have to clean out.

These covers help keep a hopefully already clean unit in roughly the same condition so that maintenance and/or a tune up is likely minimal.

Preventative maintenance keeps down costs and repairs. It is also a hallmark of a responsible homeowner. A small expense like a cover today can help keep away expensive upkeep and repairs.

Important things to keep in mind for outdoor AC units as well is maintaining proper insulation for wiring and piping and proper shielding for these components, as well as keeping them elevated somewhat off the ground and the surrounding area clean and free of vegetation, debirs and outdoor items like trash bins or furniture/equipment.