If you live in Tampa, Clearwater or St. Petersburg, you may be asking yourself if heavy rain can affect an air conditioning unit adversely. The answer is no. Although flooding or extreme circumstances can destroy an air conditioner’s outdoor compressor, rain and other common weather conditions won’t harm the outdoor unit.
Central air conditioning units differ from window based A/C units, because of their two-part construction:
- The compressor unit is a large box that sits outside the home and is secured to a cement slab.
- The evaporator coil is located indoors, within the air handler or furnace.
Since the outdoor component of a central air conditioner is built to withstand normal weather conditions, it’s not necessary to cover it. Actually, more damage can be caused by covering it improperly than by leaving the compressor uncovered. Airflow is vital to the health of the air conditioner’s compressor, and inappropriate covering can lead to problems like rust.
Now that you know how rain affects an air conditioning unit, you may wonder if it’s okay to run the A/C in the winter. Absolutely! Central air conditioning helps dehumidify the home in humid months, making for a more comfortable environment.
Here are some basic things you can do to keep the air conditioner in good working order, no matter the weather.
- Remove any large items such as children’s toys, patio furniture, lawn ornaments, etc. from around the compressor unit.
- Verify that the outside portion of the air conditioning unit is securely fastened to the concrete slab.
- Keep trees, shrubs and vegetation near the unit trimmed back at all times.
- For basement units, look into having an automatic sump pump installed to avoid possible flooding of the air conditioning unit. This will also protect the basement from flooding due to storm saturation.
For more about how rain affects an air conditioning unit, or for other home comfort concerns, Senica Air Conditioning, Inc. today.
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