The HTRC

The Homeowners & Trades Resource Center

Brought to you by:

You are here: Home / FAQ's, Acronym’s, & Terminology / FAQ: Exterior HVAC units – Should I cover my unit, or… fall & wintertime questions

FAQ: Exterior HVAC units – Should I cover my unit, or… fall & wintertime questions

When it comes to the exterior HVAC unit most people wonder about hiding them and reducing the amount of noise. We delved into that topic in our Spring & Summer HVAC FAQ but now that fall & winter has arrived… Yep now the leaves &/or snow starts falling the some start to wonder; should I cover / protect it, is it ok to just leave it alone, or what happens if I have a heat pump unit? Well lets see if we can help answer some of these typical fall & wintertime questions and look at some of the reasons behind them.

Should I cover my system during fall or winter?

snow-compressorMost units can easily handle the snow loads placed on them so the answer is no. You also do not want to trap moisture in the unit inviting unwanted growth or other related issues. Finally you want to eliminate as many nice cozy spots for mice & other creatures to nest.

Ahh, but how about leaves? I will grant you some leaves might fall through the grate on top but if you are doing regular maintenance that should be easily cleaned out before the start of the next cooling season. With that & due to the issues with mice you are going to want to clean out around the unit at least before the snow starts to fall. Now if you have a tree right above it, it could be worth just covering the top fan only say with a piece of plywood to help keep them out of it. However once the leaves are done falling you should remove said cover.

But I have had my unit damaged by snow before…

snow-shelfIn most cases that is because you had a snow or ice shelf like the small one pictured on the left fall on it. Yes I do say small as that is probably only a hundred pounds or so as larger ones are known to get into the tons. In this case a tarp or piece of plywood isn’t going to help. You might wish to consider building a movable open box with a simple shed roof (with metal roofing) that can slide past the unit up to the wall. Just remember that you will have to remove it before you go to use it come springtime / summer.

I have a heat pump system – does that change anything?

Why yes it does. For houses with gas furnaces, etc… the outside unit is dormant during the winter. A heat pump on the other hand still uses the outside unit. In this case the flow is reversed as the unit is trying to extract heat from the air (yes there is still heat one can get from the air, even when it is 0 degrees outside) instead of dumping it so the unit should never be covered (even against leaves.)

During the winter you want this unit to be exposed to as much heat / sunlight as possible. So you don’t want shrubbery or “evergreen” trees around the unit but rather deciduous trees that have lost their leaves (as those are great for shading it during the summer).

The final issue actually revolves around the snow & leaves – you should make sure that the intake(s) are high enough off the ground where the snow / leaves won’t interfere with them. Generally the best item is a stand that would be open underneath (easy to mow underneath & not allow drifts of leaves / snow to accumulate. against) As for attached to the house – I generally would shy away from those for three reasons:

  1. If snow or ice can slide off the roof onto said stand it can pull it off the house / cause damage
  2. Hard to get moisture protection issues bulletproof in this area especially as…
  3. To easy for leaves, snow, water to accumulate on the stand and against the house

Related posts:

Gas vs Diesel vs Electric: Part Deux
Say what… aka the acronym dilemma
Electrical FAQ: Off the wall questions...
BS4D: NFRC Labels (Windows, Doors, Skylights)
What is Green Building?
FAQ: Humidifiers - To humidify or not…
Monday Musings: ASHRAE part 2
FAQ: Should I insulate my Water Heater?
  Tweet    
  
   

Filed Under: FAQ's, Acronym’s, & Terminology Tagged With: HVAC January 13, 2016 By SLS

Featured Posts
Hurricane Season – 5 Steps to being prepared

Hurricane Season - 5 Steps to being prepared

Today is the start of Hurricane Season that has been predicted to be busier than usual. Based on the ocean temperatures and the changing weather conditions, they might just be ...

Read More

August and Late Summer Maintenance Checklist

August and Late Summer Maintenance Checklist

Well I have some good news & some bad news – the good news is that this is the last full month of summer. The bad news is that it ...

Read More

25 ways to keep your cool during a heat wave & beyond

25 ways to keep your cool during a heat wave & beyond

Welcome to the dog days of summer with what appears to be a bumper crop of “Excessive Heat Warnings” this year. In just this last week, I got to enjoy ...

Read More

Hitting the Road: RV’s, Gas Mileage, & Assorted Tips

Hitting the Road: RV’s, Gas Mileage, & Assorted Tips

As the Star Trek transporter still has not been invented, many vacationing families & others start looking to RV’s due to their many benefits. Can one say no TSA checks, ...

Read More

FAQ: Do I need to change my HVAC filter monthly?

FAQ: Do I need to change my HVAC filter monthly?

If you follow our Monthly Maintenance Program, the first item we have listed is "Change out your HVAC filter." This has brought up a few questions, namely: Do I need ...

Read More

Back to School Organizational Tips

Back to School Organizational Tips

Ahhh, back to school time - maybe I can now get a little peace & some quite time, get some things caught up - truly, this is one of the ...

Read More

FAQ: Ceiling fan direction - summer & winter

One of the biggest questions out there is which direction should my fan be running and how can I tell. You look at the switch and realize it isn't any ...

Read More

Subscribe

Get new posts by email:

Random Glossary term

  • Certificate of Occupancy

    When it comes to the exterior HVAC unit most people wonder about hiding them and reducing the amount of noise. We delved into that topic in our Spring & Summer HVAC FAQ but now that fall & winter has arrived… Yep now the leaves &/or snow starts falling the some start to wonder; should I […]

The HTRC - Copyright © 2006–2022 by TheHTRC.com & SLS Construction & Building Solutions LLC http://SLS-Construction.com