During the summer, the air conditioner in your San Antonio home needs a good amount of airflow around the outdoor condenser unit to do its job effectively. Properly landscaping the area around your outdoor unit helps to provide the required airflow and can also add shade, both of which help your air conditioner cool more efficiently.
Maintaining Proper Clearance
Plants growing too close to the outdoor unit can deprive it of the air required to remove heat from your house and cool the compressor. To keep your system running properly, keep plants at least two or three feet away from the outdoor unit, mow the area around the outdoor unit often and keep the area clean of all other debris. Additionally, maintain a five-foot clearance above the outdoor unit by trimming back trees or bushes.
Providing Shade
Providing shade for the condenser and compressor can allow your system to run more efficiently because the shade reduces the ambient temperature in the area by up to six degrees, improving the heat transfer process. Plant trees or shrubs at least three feet away from the condenser, but close enough to provide shade. Keep the lower branches of trees trimmed to provide plenty of clearance over the top of the outdoor unit.
Hiding the Outdoor Unit
Bushes, hedges or other tall plants can also be used to disguise the outdoor unit and make your yard look more natural. Keep the plants at least three feet away and use varieties that are easy to care for and maintain. Be sure to provide sufficient access around the outdoor unit for maintenance purposes.
Choosing the Right Plants
Avoid plants that shed large amounts of leaves during the fall to reduce raking duties and to keep plant debris out of the condenser coils. Choose plants that do not have sticky saps or resins that could drip onto the condenser coils and cause accumulations of dirt and other debris.
For more tips about landscaping the area around your outdoor unit, talk to our cooling experts at Beyer Boys. We’ve been serving the San Antonio area since 1990.
Our goal is to help educate our customers in the greater San Antonio, Texas area about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems).
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