Recently, I ran across a post where someone was saying they shade their air conditioning unit because it reduced their energy costs and made life easier on the air conditioner. I'm not talking about a tree shading the unit, I'm talking about other things.

Should You Put Shade Over Your Air Conditioning Unit?

Both WBRC and Click 2 Houston say:

No, that doesn't work

From WBRC, The owner of an air conditioning store cautions that if you follow the social media trend, it can make your air conditioner work harder because air conditioning units draw air in from the sides, and blow hot air out of the top.

When the hot air is blown out, and the unit is covered by an umbrella or tarp or the like, that hot air that was just expelled loops down and the unit tries to cool it again. It's inefficient and makes your air conditioner work much harder.

There Are Ways To Shade/Maintain Your Air Conditioner AND Get About 3 Percent More Efficiency

Tall trees provide good shade for your unit and plenty of room for the hottest air to circulate out of rotation.  Other ways you can improve the efficiency of your air conditioner is to make sure it's regularly cleaned and maintained, especially changing the filter. Also, keep weeds and grass trimmed below where the air conditioner is getting new air makes things easier on your unit, resulting in less operational expense.

The Moral Of This Air Conditioner Shading Story

Not everything you read on the internet is true. Get that tarp away from your air conditioner and enjoy the summer.

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