Pay Attention to Landscaping Around the A/C for System Efficiency

Many homeowners prefer to camouflage the appearance of their central A/C unit’s outdoor cabinet, so they’ll often add shrubbery and other landscaping around the unit to hide it from view. In addition to sprucing up your home’s appearance, adding some creative landscaping around your A/C unit can also help shade it from direct sunlight, improving its energy efficiency and performance over time.

Tips for Landscaping Around the A/C Unit

Landscaping around the A/C unit can be both visually and functionally worthwhile, but it’s important to keep these important tips in mind:

• Don’t let shrubs and trees encroach upon your unit. Ideally, you’ll want at least two to three feet of clearance on all sides to prevent airflow restrictions. You’ll also want to leave enough space for your technician to service your unit without problems.
• If you have trees growing above the component, you’ll want to keep them trimmed enough to grant a five-foot clearance between it and the outdoor cabinet.
• Avoid building decks or porches above the outdoor air conditioning component. It seems like a great idea for shading your unit, but doing so could impact how your A/C expels hot air, making it run less efficiently over the long run while shortening its life span.
• If you plan on adding trees to the landscaping around the A/C unit, choose trees that are less likely to lose their leaves or shed seeds during colder seasons. This simple choice can save you the trouble of keeping your A/C unit clear of debris through extensive raking and rinsing.
• Keep the grass around the bottom of your air conditioner trim and tidy. Tall grass can easily block incoming airflow to the coils, which could negatively impact the unit’s performance and your own cooling comfort.

Learn more about landscaping around the A/C unit, as well as Custom Air & Plumbing’s air conditioning solutions, or give us a call at (866) 819-0992.