Cover Your AC for Winter, Create a Mouse Hotel
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Every winter, some homeowners cover their outdoor air conditioning units with tarps or plastic to winterize them, and every spring, we get a lot of business when their units don’t turn on. Why? Because when homeowners cover their units to protect them, what they’re usually doing is creating a mouse hotel.
Tarps and sheets of plastic create a dry, wind-proof environment, while the electricity running through circuit boards, even when the unit isn’t running, produces a small amount of heat. Once mice discover this, they move in and start building nests. Who doesn’t want to live in a nice dry place with heated floors in the wintertime?
Mouse hotel!
They’ll pay rent, sure, but it’ll be in the form of chewed wires and insulation. They’re also terrible housekeepers. They pee and poop over everything, so when those hot, sticky days return, and you switch your system back on—if it turns on—you may circulate urine and fecal matter into your indoor breathing air and into your lungs. Ever stick your face into the AC when you first turn it on for the season? Bacteria and other indoor air quality contaminants can also settle on surfaces such as tables, doorknobs, and exposed food or beverages.
All that from some itty-bitty mice!
There’s another reason not to cover your AC unit: they’re made to withstand harsh outdoor conditions. Covering them up won’t improve the functionality of your unit.
Some homeowners are concerned about ice falling from their roofs and damaging their equipment, as in this actual field image taken below.
This is a legitimate concern; however, homeowners are better off fastening a piece of plywood over the top of the unit to protect it, leaving the sides exposed. After all, you don’t want to create a mouse hotel!
Just remember to remove the plywood before turning the system back on when the hot weather returns, otherwise you may burn out your motor.
Bonus Tip: If homeowners see ice dams on a roof, it may mean the home’s insulation has been compromised or is non-existent, which was the cause of the damage in the field image above. Blown-in attic insulation can often alleviate this problem while reducing heating and cooling bills up to 20%.
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I thought Derek was polite. Courteous knew what he was doing. Got my furnace fixed in one day. I was very appreciative and because of his service I will now only use you guys going forward. He’s a great technician.
I'm always impressed when a service provider takes the time to educate me about the product I bought. Eddie explained the protocols for maintaining my mini-splits
, provided me with the knowledge that he brought to the inspection and showed me how to improve the longevity of the product. In the process he convinced me to extend my service.
Good job -
Eric, our Sanford tech, did wonderful as always. maintaining our beast of a heating system takes skill. He is prompt and kind gets the maintenance taken care of quickly. He doesn’t mind the annoying dogs or the beam that you have to duck under going up and down stairs.
They check in the day before coming and Eric texts when on the way. He is always on time. We have been very happy with the work and the professionalism.
This was my first time using Sanford. Derek was amazing. He diagnosed the problem quickly, showed me the problem, and then quoted me a price which was very reasonable. He had the part on the truck and had the problem fixed within a half hour. From the person I made the appointment with, Irish, to the dispatcher I spoke with for an estimated time of arrival, to Derek, my experience was nothing but positive. I had such a great experience that I will always use Sanford for my heating, cooling, and plumbing needs. Highly recommended!
After Sanford did such an impressive job installing our new Bosch furnace last winter, it was a no brainer as to who we wanted to add a central air conditioner to our house.
They gave us two options and we chose to go with a heat pump. Jason and his team did an incredible job installing the system in just a single day. The quality of their workmanship is second to none and he couldn’t be a nicer person to work with.
Another great job by Sanford !
We had Brian B come to our home to conduct a follow up visit to evaluate our Carrier AC that was installed in February. Just like the three-man crew who did the installation, Brian B did an outstanding job of making sure that everything was working just fine. He answered all our questions and made sure we were confident that our AC would be working fine this summer. Great job.
Extremely happy with the service I received. Mike did an excellent job of servicing my HVAC system. He was very efficient, knowledgeable and took the time to answer all my questions. Also, the office personnel were very helpful and responsive to all my requests and questions regarding scheduling and pricing. I will be using them again and would highly recommend Mike.
Excellent service. Arrived on time. Asked me questions to diagnose any possible issues. Explained several things I did not know about my system.
Eric was very pleasant & thoroughly cleaned & diagnosed my system. Every Sanford employee with whom I have had dealings has been pleasant, attentive, and professional. A friend recommended Sanford to me & I recommend them to you as well. I have been very happy with my equipment & service & know I can contact them anytime with questions & concerns & they will respond in a timely manner. Thank you Eric!
Our tech was great! He was respectful of the space (and rolled with the chaos of small kiddos running around like goons), knowledgeable, and efficient. We’ve used Sanford for years and will continue to do so.
Kyle G. from Sanford was awesome and super respectful. They installed furnace and AC system. He explained everything without being condescending, helped set up the wireless system, checked it and his team cleaned up everything after the job. My standards are pretty high and Kyle not only met them, he exceeded them. Thank you.
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