When you turn on your air conditioning unit, you expect to enjoy the comfort that cool air brings. Unfortunately, you may also find that your air conditioning system is allowing a variety of bugs to enter your home. By utilizing the tactics that we’re going to go over below, you can help to keep the bugs out of your home and your air conditioning system for good.
Why Bugs Like Your AC System
Your air conditioning system provides adequate protection for various types of bugs. This holds especially true in the wintertime. As your air conditioning system works, it has a fresh supply of water that is removed from the air. These factors make it the perfect location for bugs to want to enter.
Most bugs will enter through the outdoor condenser unit via the grille. They can make their way through the unit into the ductwork and out the vents that run throughout your entire home. Some of the most common bugs that you’ll find crawling through your air conditioning unit include mosquitoes, ants, spiders, flies, and cockroaches.
Fix Cracks in AC Grille
Your outdoor condenser unit is covered by your air conditioner grille. When this grille gets cracks or holes, it’s important that you cover them up. These sensitive areas can allow easy entry to the inside of your condenser unit. You can fix the holes or cracks with exterior caulking.
Keep the Space Clean
One of the biggest mistakes that many homeowners make when it comes to trying to keep bugs away from their air conditioning unit is not properly cleaning the area. Your outdoor condenser unit will be positioned very close to your home. As the wind blows, leaves and other outside debris can be pushed up against the condenser unit and become wedged between the condenser unit and your home.
It’s best to remove this buildup quickly whenever you see it as it can create the perfect environment for bugs to nest. As a general rule of thumb, it’s best to keep any shrubs, tree limbs, and fencing at least 2 to 3 feet away from the outdoor condenser unit. That space needs to be there to enhance the airflow of your outdoor condenser unit and prevent unwanted insect nesting anywhere near the unit.
Put Rocks Around Your Unit
One great method for discouraging any bugs from getting inside of your outdoor condenser unit is to place it within a rock garden. You should already have the outdoor condenser unit on a concrete slab or rock to keep it level.
Go ahead and install a rock garden for another couple of feet surrounding that concrete slab. Most pests won’t try to nest within the rocks because they don’t create enough food and shelter. Not only will a rock garden help to keep out the unwanted pests, but it’s also drought resistant and fairly easy to maintain.
Have Your Ductwork Sealed
Your ductwork is one of the main ways that unwanted pests will enter your home. If your air conditioning system is older than five years, it’s best to have your ductwork evaluated by a professional to see if it needs to be sealed up. Over time, your ductwork may develop small holes and gaps that can allow an entry point for these unwanted pests. By having your ductwork sealed up, you can close these entry points and keep pests out of your ductwork.
Clean Water Leaks ASAP
One of the biggest draws for pests is a water source. You can help to minimize their want to travel throughout your home by being careful of any water leak from your air conditioning system. It’s not uncommon for your condensate drain pipe to get clogged up due to hard water scaling and loose debris.
If you notice that there is a water leak around your air conditioning unit, it’s vital to address the problem right away. In most cases, you need to clean out the drain pipe and the drain with a bleach solution. Once the drain and pipe are cleared out, your water leak problem should be fixed.
Cover Exhaust Vents
It’s not uncommon for bugs to find their way into your home via exhaust vents. When your furnace is not running during the summertime, it’s likely that bugs will enter it through the exhaust vent and into your furnace. As the pests make their way through your furnace, they’ll eventually enter your ductwork. It’s best to close off all of these exhaust vents with some sort of mesh screening to keep pests out.
Get Annual AC Maintenance
One of the best measures of protection that you can have against unwanted pests in your air conditioning system is having annual maintenance performed. Your air conditioning expert will clean all the components of your air conditioning system as part of their maintenance visit. This allows them to remove any early pest infestations that have occurred so that you don’t have to deal with them in the summertime.
Regular Filter Changes
Your air conditioning unit has an air filter that works to remove unwanted particles and debris from the air inside of your home. When this filter becomes clogged, it needs to be replaced. If you don’t replace the filter, it can make it harder for your air conditioning unit to work, and it can cause moisture buildup inside of your system.
As a general rule of thumb, it’s best to change your air filter once a month during the summertime. When you pull the air filter out, you’ll want to hold it up to the light. If you can’t see through it, it’s time to replace the air filter.
Put Screens Over Vents
One great measure you can utilize to help keep insects from getting inside your living quarters is putting mesh screens over the vent. Each room in your home should have at least two different vents that circulate air throughout your home. By putting a mesh screen over these vents, you can contain pests to just your ductwork instead of having them inside of the various rooms in your home.
Perform Regular Landscaping
Another preventive step to keep bugs out of the area of your outdoor condenser unit is to perform regular landscaping. This means mowing your lawn at least once a week and ensuring that the grass doesn’t get too high where it fosters insect nesting. In addition, you want to make sure that you regularly clean out your gutters and downspouts that are near the area of your air conditioning unit as any buildup in these areas can promote insect growth.
Always Call an Exterminator
Whenever you first notice that there is an abundance of pests coming into your air conditioning system, it’s vital to call an exterminator. Many times, homeowners make the mistake of trying to remedy the pest problem on their own. While this may seem like it’ll work at first, usually, the pests come back and in bigger numbers. Do yourself a favor, and always call in a professional to handle any pest infestation that you have in your air conditioning system.
Top-Quality AC Service
Holbrook Heating & Air Conditioning is your air conditioner maintenance professional serving the Jamesville area. We also offer quality AC repairs and installations and a full range of heating and indoor air quality services. Just give us a call today to get started. We look forward to serving you.
