Stopping Animals from Accessing and Damaging Your AC Unit
Posted on August 24, 2017
Some animals are gracious and certainly loveable. However, when you think about what they are capable of doing to your AC equipment, you would want to do everything you can to keep them at bay. Unwanted visitors such as rodents can damage your AC unit and if this happens during summer, then you know the discomfort it subjects you and your family into. The greatest concern is that these pets and wild animals roam freely around your home or pop from your neighbor’s side of the fence.
An AC unit is not a cheap investment and the first responsibility you have is to protect and maintain it so that the total cost of ownership can be at its lowest. The following are tips you can think about and adopt where applicable to help you stop these animals from damaging your unit.
Never Leave Food Outside
If you have pets, you may be into the habit of leaving food outside for convenience purposes so that whenever your pets are hungry, they can always rush in and eat. While your intentions are good, chances of attracting unwanted animals are high when you leave food outside. The solution is to feed your pets and what remains, to be locked up until the following day or feeding time. Where the animals are crossing in from your neighbor’s side, remind them about the same thing and especially the inconvenience it is causing you.
Keep Your Yard Clean
Yard maintenance is not a one-off event rather it is something you need to do throughout the year. Ensure the grass is kept short always and no debris is around the lawn area where the outdoor component of your AC unit is installed. The more the grass in your yard, the more these little creatures prowl. Interestingly, they love taller grass because it gives them an advantage and an opportunity to hind from predators.
If you are too busy to take care of your yard regularly, you are encouraged to hire landscapers and gardeners to help you out. Look at the cost of hiring a garden vis-à-vis the expense you are likely to incur if you are to repair your damaged AC unit.
Use Repellents and Traps
You may keep your yard clean and not leave any food outside, but still animals may roam around your property. At this point, the best approach is to set some traps so as to catch the animals or use repellents to keep them away from your AC equipment. There are special traps that can capture them without necessarily killing them. You can later release them into the wild or hand them over to an animal rescue group if you have one in your area.
Inspect the Air Ducts
Some animals may hide in your air ducts. If this happens, they may cause damage to the various components they can access. You may not be in a position to inspect the ducts yourself, but you can get in touch with a HVAC technician. Normally, the technician will do the inspection during each visit to your home as they check out the other components.
If you have discovered late that your AC unit has been damaged by animals, you should immediately notify a professional AC technician to come and access the nature of the damage and help you in fixing it.