You have a lot invested in your air conditioning unit, so it’s only natural to want to take the best possible care of the outside A/C condensing unit. For Midwesterners, this means covering the unit to protect it from harsh winter weather.

The simplest way to protect your A/C condenser over winter is simply covering it with a sheet of plywood weighed down with bricks. This will protect the unit from falling icicles without letting moisture build up inside. When you use this method, you might want to give the metal on the sides of the unit a coat of car wax as an extra measure of protection against the elements.

Another way to protect your air conditioner is to buy a cover designed to fit your condenser. A good cover will have ventilation on the sides to allow air to circulate, and it will have a one-half inch space between the bottom of the cover and the base of the unit.

Never wrap your condenser with an airtight cover for winter protection. No matter how well you wrap it, moisture will find its way inside. Without good air circulation to dry the metal, the unit will rust. In addition, rodents may move in to find protection from the elements. Come spring, you’ll find chewed wiring and insulation as well as a smelly mess.

For more information about protecting your A/C condenser this winter, contact us at Overland Park Heating & Cooling. Serving the Greater Kansas City and Kansas areas since 1983, our professional technicians are ready to meet all your heating and cooling needs.

Our goal is to help educate our customers in Overland Park, Kansas about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). 

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