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Have you noticed bugs that seem to be making their way through your air conditioning system? If so, you certainly have good reason to be concerned about it. Bugs can actually cause damage to your air conditioner. Some of the more common types of bugs that attempt to make their way into air conditioning units include ladybugs, elder bugs, and even roaches and ants.
If bugs do make their way into your air conditioner, it can cause some serious problems. For instance, the presence of bugs can result in electrical shorts in your AC. In some cases, bugs can even cause a complete failure of your cooling system.
How Do Bugs Get Through AC Systems?
Among the main reasons that bugs enter air conditioning is simply because they can. This is usually due to a seal that is not tight. Bugs are often in search of water and food. Bugs may be attracted to the smell of food that they can sense through your air conditioning or they may be in search of water and are attracted to condensation.
Some people may mistakenly believe that they can keep bugs out of their air conditioning system by keeping their homes cold. This actually does nothing to prevent bugs from trying to make their way through an AC. In fact, if it is extremely hot outside, bugs might even be more attracted to cooler air. The good news is that there are several steps you can take to keep bugs from coming through your air conditioning unit.
Pay Attention to Landscaping
Landscaping is extremely important for a number of reasons and not just to improve curb appeal. To prevent bugs from making their way through your air conditioning unit, make sure you are paying careful attention to the landscaping around your condenser.
Keep in mind that fences, trees, and plants should be positioned at least 2 feet from your air conditioner’s condenser. You should also check to make certain that there are no low-hanging tree branches near the condenser. Is there any debris cluttered around the condenser? If so, take some time to clear it away. It’s easy for leaves to accumulate around an AC. Unfortunately, those piles of leaves make the perfect shelter for bugs.
Make a point of moving anything away from your condenser that might serve to attract bugs. For instance, make sure you do not keep any trash cans or woodpiles near the condenser. You should also clear away any grass clippings.
Create a Rock Garden
Shrubbery may look nice but when it comes to placing it near your condenser, you are practically inviting bugs to come inside. If you want to keep the area around your condenser looking nice without attracting bugs to plants, think about setting up a rock garden around your condenser. With this method, you can deter bugs while ensuring that there are no tall plants nearby that could clog the coil in the condenser or block airflow to the cooling unit.
Get Rid of Standing Water
Make a point of getting rid of any standing water or puddles around your condenser. Not only will standing water attract mosquitos, but it may also attract all sorts of other bugs and insects. Check for puddles and standing water every day after it rains.
Additionally, if there are any holes in the ground near the condenser, fill them with dirt so there is not as much potential for standing water. This will ensure there is nowhere for bugs to hide around your condenser.
Clean the Downspouts and Gutters
You likely already know how important it is to keep the downspouts and gutters cleared to prevent damage to your home, but you might not realize that this is also important for keeping bugs at bay. Clearing the downspouts and gutters on a routine basis is an excellent way to ensure you are not harboring bugs near your home that could then make their way into your interior spaces via your air conditioning.
Protect Ducts and Vents With Screens
It can be difficult to get bugs and pests out of your ducts once they have made their way inside. The best way to combat this is to ensure that it doesn’t occur in the first place. A great way to do this is by fitting screens over vent openings to serve as a barricade to keep bugs and pests out of your ductwork. You will be able to enjoy air flowing easily without granting access to unwanted guests. Screens will also help to deter birds from building nests inside your vents and ductwork.
Do Not Use Pesticides in Your Condenser
Have you noticed wasps or bees around your condenser? It’s not uncommon for insects to attempt to build nests near or even in a condenser. If so, you might think that the next step would be to spray a pesticide or insecticide near or in your condenser unit. You should not do this, though, because it can be potentially dangerous and possibly harmful to your condenser. When concerned about insects making a home in your AC equipment, it’s important to speak to your air conditioning technician about the best way to handle the problem.
Avoid DIY Cleaning of Your Ductwork
If you believe that there may actually be bugs or other pests living in the ductwork for your air conditioning system, avoid the temptation to try to clean the ductwork on your own. In the event that there actually are bugs or pests making a home in your ductwork, it is entirely possible that the ducts need to be cleaned, but you should not attempt to handle the cleaning on your own. Doing so could actually result in tremendous damage to your ductwork and cost you more money in the long run. Instead, it’s important to call in professionals to handle the cleaning of your ducts for you.
Prevent Water Leaks
Are you aware of any water leaks near your home? If so, you could be inadvertently attracting bugs, especially cockroaches, to your property. In the event that you do have leaks, it’s important to make sure they are patched as quickly as possible.
The first place you should check is your water hose spigot to ensure it is tight. In addition, be sure to check out your condenser to make sure there is no water leaking from it. If you do notice the presence of water leaking from your condenser, this might actually be an indication that there is a problem with your air conditioning system.
Schedule Preventive Maintenance
If you believe there are any problems with your air conditioning that could be contributing to bugs making their way through, it’s a good idea to go ahead and schedule an appointment for preventive maintenance for your air conditioning system. Contact us at Black-Haak in Fox Valley to schedule an appointment. We would be happy to schedule a tune-up for your air conditioning along with a professional cleaning to make certain there are no bugs making their way into your system. Our team also offers AC repairs and installations and a full range of heating services, electrical services, and plumbing services. Call our team to learn more about our service offerings.
