|
Mon, Aug 22, 11 at 11:03
| Our A/C unit is on the side of our house. There is about 1 foot between the unit and the house, 1 foot between the unit and the fence on the other side, and about 5 feet between the unit and the fence on the back side. I have read that you need to be careful when putting things around the A/C because it can effect the air circulation around the unit. I would like to put a trellis with vines growing up it on the 4th side to hide the unit. How far or close can I put a trellis to the unit and still have enough air circulation?
Thanks! |
Follow-Up Postings:
|
- Posted by heatseeker (My Page) on Mon, Aug 22, 11 at 14:17
| 1 foot or 15 inches is about the minimum clearance I wouldnt put any type of vines even close to a condenser for it will start getting into the unit and wreaking havoc. |
|
- Posted by MetalMan2004 (My Page) on Tue, Aug 23, 11 at 9:23
| Thanks for the reply. Would covering the top with a finer mesh than the grate that is on there help with plant material? I guess I would have to clean blooms off in spring and leaves in fall. Suggestions anyone? Thanks! |
|
| Over the years I have seen people build "dog houses" for their outside a/c units made from trellis material. I have also seen solid plywood boxes with an open back used to encase an exterior a/c unit. All in the name of beauty and home design. These are not good ideas. Leave these to the design freaks at HGTV. A/C units need to breathe. They need air circulation. The air comes in through the fins and is exhausted out the top of the unit. Anything that interrupts this airflow could possibly overheat the unit and even cause damage to it. These outside condensers were made to dissipate heat, not store it. The better the airflow the more efficient your a/c will operate. |
|
| I experimented with mesh on top of my new unit to keep stuff out. I could not get it to look right. I think there might be a reason the manufacturers don't do this, probably airflow restriction. I try to clean the unit once a year by removing the fan a using the shop-vac to vacuum the debries that accumulates inside. CAREFUL with the cooling fins if you do this. |
Please Note: Only registered members are able to post messages to this forum. If you are a member, please log in. If you aren't yet a member, join now!
Return to the Heating & Air Conditioning Forum
Instructions
- You must be a registered member and logged in to post messages on our forums.
- Posting is a two-step process. Once you have composed your message, you will be taken to the preview page. You will then have a chance to review the contents and make changes.
- After posting your message, you may need to refresh the forum page in order to see it.
- It is illegal to post copyrighted material without the owner's consent.
- HTML codes are allowed in the message field only.
- No advertising is allowed in any of the forums.
- If you would like to practice posting or uploading photos, please visit our Test forum.
- If you need assistance, please Contact Us and we will be happy to help.