Air Conditioning - Central Air Condenser Winter Prep? Help!
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unseen79
10-06-09, 11:55 AM
Hi all, I'm a first time home buyer; installed at the house is a fairly new (i think about 2 years) Lennox central air system.
This is all new to me and I haven't been able to find much info in internet searches, but what exactly should be done to prepare this unit for cold new england winters? Do the pipes or anything on the unit need to be drained (if so it fairly straight forward?) also there are quite a lot of trees so there is a lot of leaves and debris, should the unit be covered for winter storage?
Any help is much appreciated! Thank you!
This is all new to me and I haven't been able to find much info in internet searches, but what exactly should be done to prepare this unit for cold new england winters? Do the pipes or anything on the unit need to be drained (if so it fairly straight forward?) also there are quite a lot of trees so there is a lot of leaves and debris, should the unit be covered for winter storage?
Any help is much appreciated! Thank you!
sminker
10-06-09, 05:58 PM
might want to get inside the condenser and hose out any leaves that have fallen(into access panel with the disconnect off)too wrap it up all the way around is debatable but in New Englands heavy snow might be a plus.definitly wrap the top with an over sized piece of blue plastic drop cloth and tie it around 360 degrees.this will keep the snow from packing up on to and melting in the sun and draining into the condenser motor breaings and windings.you make this a routine,and you might never have a failure on it and keep the inside clean and rust free.if you have so scrap 1/2 plywood cut a circular piece the diameter of the top of the condenser and put that down before the plastic goes on.that will be tight for that weather there and give you something to look foward to...the offical spring start up when it all comes off... power disconnect OFF also for the winter,if your transformer is in the air handler for the heating side.they sell covers that slide over the entire condenser if you want that
mattison
10-07-09, 06:07 AM
I would agree with covering the top and that's it. Wrapping the entire unit could cause condensation inside the unit and cause rust. Be sure that if you cover the top to keep the unit powered off so you do not inadvertently turn it on in the spring with the top covered.
Just to be sure. This isn't a heat pump is it?
Just to be sure. This isn't a heat pump is it?