Don’t Let Fallen Leaves Ruin Your HVAC
How Do Leaves Affect Your Home’s HVAC?
Falling leaves are useful for making organic compost that later can be used to enhance the soil in your garden. They are also perceived as a welcome sign at the end of summer when we say goodbye to hot weather and hello to cool breezes of the fall season. But all that organic matter on the ground can build around the outdoor unit of your HVAC system. A buildup of leaves, seedpods, and grass trimmings fallen, and broken branches, can cause various problems you want to avoid, like: 
- Airflow restrictions through the coil that interfere with proper heat transfer
- Adding strain on the compressor that may lead to premature failure of your system’s most costly component
- Clogging the compressor that will reduce the efficiency of your HVAC system which leads to higher energy bills
- Obstructed furnace intake and exhaust pipes that will cause more significant damage if the leaves are not removed
How to Keep Leaves from Accumulating on Your HVAC Unit
Rake the leaves at least once a week and discard them. Make sure you rake in the direction away from the outdoor HVAC units to prevent inadvertently spraying debris and dirt towards them. - Do not plant trees, shrubs, or any other plants too close to HVAC units or pipes. Leaving an area of three-foot cleared around the compressor is recommended by experts.
- As an additional measure, you can use a protective cover to avoid leaves falling directly on top of the outdoor uni.
- Don’t forget to trim back any weeds, grass, or other vegetation around the units.
Schedule Professional HVAC Cleaning Service
Get in touch with professional HVAC cleaning services as part of seasonal preventive maintenance for your HVAC. Quinnair’s technicians have the experience and knowledge to safely clean exterior and interior parts to keep things running efficiently. Call us (720) 634-2313 to schedule a service.
