The air conditioning unit is usually placed outdoors and is either set on the roof of your home or on the ground by the side of your house or in the backyard. The unit is part of the HVAC system and appliances that runs the cooled and heated air to your home, depending on the season. The unit that you see outside is only a part of the system and because they are almost always set outside, they are manufactured to be outside in the elements. If you live somewhere that has lots of rain or it snows a lot, the unit is built to last during these types of conditions. However, covering your unit in the fall still makes sense and is a good idea if you want you unit to last.
Extreme Heating and Air Conditioning has all the reasons why you should cover your unit in the fall weather season.
Air Conditioner Metal Corrosion: One thing that can be blowing around outside during the fall weather are leaves and seeds. This is when the weather cools off and the leaves will start to fall off the trees. Depending on where you live you could have large piles of leaves that can be building up all around your home. The problem with letting leaves collect around and your unit is that they also usually keep a lot of moisture. The moisture, if touching the unit can cause it to eat away at the metal and cause corrosion. This will lessen the life of the unit.
Dirt and Debris in Air Conditioner Fan This is another part of the outside elements that could be getting into your unit. The dirt and dust that is flying around can get in the air conditioner fan that is running to send the air throughout you home. If you have a cover you are probably keeping out a portion of the dirt and therefore cleaner air is being sent into the home. The home has a series of duct and filters that also help to eliminate the amount of dirt and dust that is sent in the air.
Should I Cover My Air Conditioner in the Fall and Winter or Not?
If you have an area around your unit that is prone to lots of leaves building up you might want to cover the unit during the fall season to keep the moist leaves away from the metal. The rest of the year the air conditioner unit is built to withstand the environmental elements that the unit will encounter. It is recommended to be installed outdoors and can continue to run during rain or snow. You can clean off the unit any extra dirt and debris that might build up around it. This is sufficient for the remainder of the year.
