Meticulous landscaping can not only beautify your home in the Indianapolis area, but when properly applied around the outdoor condenser unit of your A/C system, it can also help the air conditioner perform better. Here are a few tips for landscaping around your outdoor A/C unit.
Leave Plenty of Clearance
In order to operate efficiently, the condenser coils of an air conditioning system need plenty of airflow to remove heat from your home. To facilitate better airflow, keep a two to three foot area all around the outdoor unit clear of plants, weeds, fallen leaves and other debris. Mow the grass often, keeping the discharge port of the mower pointed away from the condenser coils to avoid clogging them with debris, which could reduce system efficiency. Also, keep all trees and shrubs around the outdoor A/C unit trimmed so that there’s a five foot clearance above the system.
Provide Shade for the Outdoor Unit
Planting trees or shrubs near the outdoor component can provide shade for it, which will decrease the ambient temperature in the area by up to eight degrees. This makes it much easier for the air conditioning system to shed the heat from inside your home, and it can reduce its energy usage by up to 10 percent. To maintain good airflow to the condenser coils, make sure that the trees and shrubs are outside of the required clearance area.
Use the Appropriate Types of Plants
To prevent clogging the condenser coils in the outdoor unit, try to choose shade trees like evergreens that don’t lose their leaves during the winter, and avoid plants that drip sap. Fewer leaves can also reduce your raking duties during the fall. Hedges or a combination of lattice and vines are good options to hide the outdoor unit and make your yard look better. Just be sure to plant them at least three feet way and keep them well maintained.
To learn more about how proper landscaping around your outdoor A/C unit can improve cooling efficiency, talk to HVAC professionals at Mowery Heating, Cooling and Plumbing. We serve Indianapolis and surrounding communities.
Our goal is to help educate our customers in Brownsburg, Indiana and surrounding areas about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems).
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