[mtrent]

If foliage of debris is collecting around your air conditioning unit, which will make it function less efficiently. It will be best to keep this area clear for it to run better. If you landscape around your unit and place some landscaping timber around your unit this will keep a lot of the debris from collecting around your unit.

Another helpful tip, although it may take awhile to rap the benefits, is to plant some shade trees around your home because shade will also keep your home cool.

[horselover]

Always have grass too. It helps cool your home naturally as well.

[mollyL]

Originally Posted by mtrent

If foliage of debris is collecting around your air conditioning unit, which will make it function less efficiently. It will be best to keep this area clear for it to run better. If you landscape around your unit and place some landscaping timber around your unit this will keep a lot of the debris from collecting around your unit.

Another helpful tip, although it may take awhile to rap the benefits, is to plant some shade trees around your home because shade will also keep your home cool.

That's very true, although it does take alot of time to reap the benefits. For awhile we lived in the desert, where our AC basically was hit by the sun nearly all day. You can imagine how hard it had to labour.

[tater03]

Just be careful planting trees to close to the house. We did that and it tends to root the wood faster. Thanks for sharing these tips.

[mtrent]

Originally Posted by mollyL

That's very true, although it does take alot of time to reap the benefits. For awhile we lived in the desert, where our AC basically was hit by the sun nearly all day. You can imagine how hard it had to labour.

Omg! What size unit did you have to use and I can only imagine the size of your electric bill!!!!

[Kitten]

I guess I've never really paid much attention to stuff growing around mine and how that would effect efficiency. I guess I need to go look now.

[horselover]

Get at it before it gets too wild.

We pulled a whole whack of weeds yesterday from beside a unit at a client's house. It was a mess.

[mtrent]

It really does pay to keep the area around your air conditioning unit clean.

[Serenity]

The house I've moved to has a kind of shade over theirs that keeps the leaves out but still leaves room for ventilation. Plus it stops the sun beating down on it all day. It's just a homemade contraption made of sheet metal and wood that sits on top of it and is angled at 45 degrees but seems to work fine.

[EviesEarth]

I never really gave much thought to keeping the AC unit cool, although it makes perfect sense. Ours is in a corner with about 70% of the days shade. I think planting some greenery around is a great idea.