Whether you own a home in Denton, Flower Mound, Keller, Highland Village, Lewisville, Allen, Lucas, Prosper, TX, or the surrounding communities, when springtime comes, you may be looking for ways to spruce up your home’s exterior or landscaping. Adding plants, shrubs, or other flowers can be a great way to boost your home’s appeal.
At Cogburn’s Heating and Air Conditioning, our friendly and knowledgeable HVAC contractor can provide insight on how to utilize plants in your landscaping that won’t impact the performance or safety of your AC unit.
First, it is vital that you maximize the space around the unit to allow for venting of the heat from your unit. The fan in your unit must be free to vent the heat that builds up as the gas from the AC unit compresses. If you have been near your outside unit when it is running you know how much hot air it is dispenses. The area around the unit needs to be clear in order for the heat to disperse. Otherwise, the unit works much harder resulting in higher utility bills and a shortened unit life.
Should you decide to plant around the unit, it is a good rule of thumb to make sure plants or bushes are at least 3 to 5 feet away from your unit. Many homeowners make the mistake of planting too close to their AC unit, which can impact the eventual maturity of the plant or bush. A mature plant growing within inches of the unit can act as a deterrent to air flow. In addition, plants too close to the unit can shed leaves and debris into the housing. This causes obstructions and makes the unit far less efficient. You should also keep in mind plants placed too close to you unit may become damaged by the continuous hot air being propelled from the unit.
Some plants can have unexpected benefits on your AC system. For example, planting shade trees nearby, particularly if the AC unit is located on the west side of the home, can provide cooling cover for the unit which can cut the cooling cost by 10%. The key to planting a shade tree is to make sure it is drought resistant as the hot air escaping from the unit can be detrimental to the tree. Also, the tree, upon full maturity, should be no less than fifteen feet away from the unit. Otherwise, leaves and branches can fall into the fan area. If you do have a nearby tree, be sure and check your AC unit regularly for leaf and branch obstructions.
If you have questions about landscaping the area around your AC unit or just want to make sure existing plants or trees aren’t having a negative impact on your system, call Cogburn’s Heating and Air Conditioning today.
We recommend having a seasonal summer checkups to ensure your system is operating its best. Our professional air conditioning service technicians are experts on all brands and will check your outside unit thoroughly as part of the service call. As leader in the HVAC industry, we provide a wide range of heating, air conditioning repair, maintenance, and installation services. Send us a message using our website or call us today at 866-523-8762 to see what we can do for you.
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