With Texas storm season on its way, you’re sure to find all sorts of debris in your yard this summer. Recently, more homeowners have been wondering whether or not this debris can hurt their HVAC systems, and we’re here to answer that question. At Ellis AC, we work hard to educate our clients about making their systems last, which is why we’ve put together a guide to how debris affects your system and how to protect your HVAC.
How Your Outdoor HVAC Unit Works
The outdoor cabinet of your HVAC system is what keeps the air flowing in your home. The cabinet, which contains a coil and compressor, draws cool air from around the bottom and sides and pumping it up through the top. This helps expel the warm air collected from your home, and it generates airflow which helps cool your home. The outdoor cabinet is one of the most important parts of any HVAC system, but too many homeowners forego the proper steps to protect their outdoor cabinet from harm, which can drive your electric bill up and reduce the lifespan of your system.
How Leaves Can Damage Your HVAC
Since your outdoor cabinet pulls air from its bottom and sides, it’s easy to see how an abundance of fallen foliage could cause problems. If too many leaves or twigs get sucked up, it can cause severe airflow blockages. These blockages can do serious damage to your system, including drastically reducing its efficiency. If you have a blockage in your outdoor cabinet, one of the first signs you might notice is a sudden rise in your electric bill.
Severe airflow blockages can even damage important parts of your system, including the coil and compressor found in the outdoor cabinet.
How To Protect Your HVAC System
If you’re worried about fallen debris hurting your HVAC system, there are some steps you can take to prevent it. First, we recommend regularly raking leaves and debris during the fall and bagging them up immediately to avoid piles being blown down by the wind.
You can also learn how to check your outdoor cabinet for debris and use compressed air to blow any leaves out of the vent. If you need to know how to properly check your outdoor cabinet for debris, our HVAC technicians would be happy to help.
If any tree limbs are hanging over your outdoor cabinet, keep them trimmed back so their foliage doesn’t get caught in the air vent. You can also invest in an HVAC cover to protect your cabinet from debris whenever you aren’t actively using the system.
HVAC Maintenance And Repairs With Ellis AC
If you’re looking for high-quality HVAC maintenance and repairs at a reasonable price, Ellis AC is the perfect team for the job. Our experienced HVAC technicians work hard to give the best customer service and long-lasting repairs, and we take the time to educate our clients on what they can do to get the most out of their systems. For more information, or for a free quote on our services, call Ellis AC today!