Landscaping Tips To Save Your HVAC System
When you landscape your home, pay attention to the area around your outdoor HVAC unit. It may come as a shock, but the plants around your compressor unit can have a big impact on the efficiency of the unit. There are a few things that you can do to keep your HVAC unit efficient and your landscaping looking great.
Give it Three Feet
A good rule of thumb with landscaping is that you need to keep some distance from the outdoor unit. You need to keep plants or other objects at least two to three feet away from your outdoor compressor unit. Your unit needs that open space to allow it to let off heat and work to cool the home. Plants growing near your HVAC unit can obstruct that open air. This makes it much harder for your compressor to work as it should.
Offer Up Some Shade
While it can be tempting to cover your compressor unit, that's not the best idea. It needs a good five to six feet from the top of the unit for open space in order for it to work. But, it can be beneficial to have the area surrounding your unit shaded. Consider planting large trees that cast a shadow over that part of your yard. This can help your unit work better during the hottest part of the day.
Construct a Windbreak
With landscaping, you should try to reduce the amount of debris around your outdoor unit. While you can't have anything within a couple of feet of the unit, you can create windbreaks around the unit. You can do this by using several different materials.
You can opt for using evergreen plants like Boxwoods, Cedar, Spruce, and Cypress. Make sure that these plants stay trimmed throughout the year. You don't want to enclose the open space around your HVAC compressor unit. Another great option is to use a lattice, screen, or trellis. These improve airflow around the unit and stop debris like leaves and branches.
Consider Stone Over Mulch
While mulch is often inexpensive and looks great, wind can pick it up and move it into your HVAC unit. When you put mulch near your compressor unit, you may find mulch pieces within the fins of your HVAC unit. A great way to combat this is to consider using stone over mulch. Stone won't move when the wind blows, and it's very low maintenance.
Call Us Today
If landscaping around your compressor unit is giving you a headache, give us a call today. Our helpful HVAC professionals can help you and answer all your questions. Use these great solutions to keep your HVAC system working throughout the year.
