With the change in seasons come current threats to your HVAC system, and one such threat comes in the form of fallen leaves.

• It’s strenuous to imagine that fallen foliage could give your HVAC unit so much trouble, but it can happen if you’re not diligent about outdoor HVAC equipment protection.

Your HVAC system’s outdoor cabinet, which contains the condenser coil and compressor, is used for expelling latent heat collected from inside your home. To accomplish this, your outdoor cabinet uses a powerful fan to draw cool air from the bottom and sides of the unit, which it then uses to disperse moderately warm air through the top of the cabinet. With this setup, it’s easy to see how fallen leaves can impact your HVAC system. Leaves that pile up at the bottom of the equipment can choke off crucial airflow, making it hard for your HVAC plan to disperse latent heat. Such blockages can also cause a noticeable drop in HVAC unit efficiency, making your equipment use more energy for the declining levels of performance. Airflow blockages caused by fallen leaves can even ruin portions of your HVAC system, including the condenser coil and air conditioner compressor. Outdoor HVAC equipment protection is essential for keeping your heating and cooling unit in good shape this fall. Fortunately, there are plenty of proactive steps you can take to keep your equipment safe. You can regularly rake your yard of fallen leaves and other debris, and be sure to keep raked leaves bagged up to prevent the wind from blowing them everywhere. Thoroughly inspect and scrub your outdoor HVAC unit, and use compressed air to blow out any leaves and debris found within. Trim back overhanging limbs to keep leaves from falling through the fan vent and use an HVAC cover to protect your equipment when it is not in use.

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