To cover or not to cover your HVAC? That is sometimes a question a homeowner needs to answer. Here’s what you should know when making your decision about HVAC covers:

To Cover — or Not

It’s not really the entire HVAC system you will need to worry about, but just the outdoor portion of the air conditioner, which includes the condenser and compressor. Although these parts of your A/C are vital to its operation, they are pretty well protected within the sturdy metal housing that usually covers the air conditioner.

You would not want to cover the condenser up in the summer because that would impede air flow, but in the winter, when its not in use, you probably wouldn’t want to cover it up either. The reason? It makes a cozy nest for rodents, which are likely to burrow their way in and set up shop. HVAC companies often report a nice business in springtime, repairing the damage to wiring and other parts that rodents may do when the condenser is covered up tight.

So when would you want to cover up the air conditioner? Here are a few scenarios:

During snow events

It’s unlikely in our area that we will experience the kind of intense snow event that would damage your condenser, but here’s when you need to worry about snow. If it were to snow so intensely that your condenser fills up with snow, then it melts, then refreezes continuously over a period of a few days, damage could occur to the unit. The best solution is to put a piece of plywood on top of the unit and anchor it so snow can’t fall inside.

To prevent storm damage or deflect falling debris

If you’re concerned about hail damage or damage from falling limbs or storm debris, you can cover up the unit during the storm (but remember to turn it off) with a tarp, tightly secured, or an actual commercially manufactured vinyl cover.

To learn more about HVAC covers, contact Powers Heating and Air. We serve Peachtree City and the surrounding area.

Our goal is to help educate our customers in Peachtree City, Georgia and surrounding areas about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). For more information about other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Guide or call us at 770-487-2040.

Credit/Copyright Attribution: “geralt/Pixabay”