Should I shade my outdoor air conditioner unit ??

India
June 13, 2010 10:56am CST
Is it necessary to keep the AC outdoor unit in shade? I have to spend extra money to keep the unit well protected from rain and direct sun light.I found many units kept in open.Is it harmful to the AC ,keeping the outdoor unit not protected??
1 person likes this
3 responses
@o0jopak0o (6394)
• Philippines
14 Jun 10
well rusting is the main problem i think so you should.
• India
16 Jun 10
As you said,to avoid getting rusted,I should provide shade for the AC out door unit.Thank you.
@cream97 (29087)
• United States
19 Jul 10
Hi, ashwinsasi. If you are trying to keep your AC UNIT from rain and direct sunlight, then I think that you should not keep it outside at all. It may could get damaged very badly. You should keep in a shed or somewhere in a room in your house. I think that it is very harmful to keep the AC unit unprotected outside. Someone may come alone and steal it too.
@bird123 (10632)
• United States
13 Jun 10
You must remember that an air conditioner is no more than a heat pump. It is pumping heat out of your house. The cooler it is around your outside condensing unit;the easier it is to get the heat out. A shady unit will cool better. Units are sized based on a outside temperature of 95 degrees. Cooler outside means the unit has a larger cooling capacity while hotter outside gives you a smaller unit. One must be careful if shading not to restrict air flow around unit. Look at owners manual or search online. Clean fins always help. Some units require cleaning more than once a season depending on use.