How Do Leaves Affect Your Heating and A/C System?

With the change in seasons come current threats to your heating and A/C system.

  • One such threat comes in the form of fallen leaves during autumn.

It’s hard to imagine that fallen foliage could give your central heating and A/C unit so much trouble, however it can happen if you’re not diligent about outdoor heating and A/C equipment protection and cleaning. Your heating and A/C system’s outdoor unit, which contains the condenser coil and compressor, is used for expelling latent heat collected from inside your home. To accomplish this, your outdoor system uses a powerful fan to draw cool air from the bottom and sides of the unit, which it then uses to disperse overheated air through the top of the compressor. With this setup, it’s simple to see how fallen leaves can impact your heating and A/C system. Leaves that pile up at the bottom of the equipment can choke off crucial airflow, making it difficult for your heating and A/C unit to disperse latent heat. Such blockages can also cause a noticeable drop in heating and A/C efficiency, making your equipment use more energy because of declining levels of performance. Airflow blockages caused by fallen leaves can even damage portions of your heating and A/C system, including the condenser coil and air conditioner compressor. Outdoor heating and A/C equipment protection is essential for keeping your home’s heating and cooling unit in great shape this fall. Fortunately, there are plenty of proactive steps you can take to keep your equipment safe. You can properly rake your yard of fallen leaves and other debris, and keep raked leaves bagged up to prevent the wind from blowing them everywhere. Thoroughly inspect and scrub your outdoor heating and A/C compressor 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. Also, use a heating and A/C cover to protect your equipment when it is not in use.

HVAC professional