You may not need your air conditioner during late fall and winter, but you shouldn’t completely ignore this unit. It helps to ask, “How do I protect my outdoor AC unit during the fall and winter months?” Winterizing an AC unit requires following a few steps to prevent AC damage and ensure the unit is ready to go when warmer temperatures arrive again.
Learn more about outdoor AC protection steps you can take or have a professional technician perform for you.
Add an AC Unit Cover
Adding a cover to the air conditioning unit can be beneficial. Although the outdoor unit can withstand rain and snow, covering it can prevent excess moisture from repeatedly freezing and thawing inside. A cover should also protect the unit from accumulating dead leaves.
If you place a cover over the unit, check it regularly during the winter. You might have mice or other small animals attempting to build a nest inside the cover.
Choose your cover carefully. If the cover doesn’t allow some airflow, you could end up with mold formation or rust problems underneath it.
Remove Icicles From Above
If your AC unit is in an area where icicles may form on trees or eaves above it, take steps to eliminate this danger. Falling ice can cause physical damage to your air conditioning unit.
While safely knocking down any icicles, be sure to cover your air conditioning unit with plywood to protect it from falling ice chunks.
Take Down Dead Tree Branches
If you have an older tree near the AC unit, keep an eye on any weakened or dead branches above the air conditioner. Branches that accumulate ice and snow during winter could snap off and fall onto the AC unit, causing significant damage.
Take steps to protect the AC unit with plywood before removing any overhanging branches before ice forms on them.
Shut Down the Power Source
Turning off the air conditioner at the thermostat prevents it from unexpectedly kicking on during an occasional warm winter day. This is especially important if you cover the outdoor unit.
You may want to take it a step further by turning off the air conditioner’s power so someone else doesn’t turn on the thermostat without knowing about the cover. Most outdoor units have circuit breakers mounted near them that you can turn off to prevent electricity from flowing to the air conditioner.
Our Team Can Help With Useful Winter HVAC Tips
If you are asking yourself, “How do I protect my outdoor AC unit during the fall and winter months?” don’t make guesses about what to do. Instead, rely on the air conditioning service experts at A-Perfect Climate for sensible winter HVAC tips.
Although you can often take the steps to protect an HVAC system in winter yourself, you may want to hire our team to help. We can also inspect the AC unit and perform air conditioning maintenance service.
Call us today at (630) 691-8380 for fall AC maintenance service or advice.
