My air conditioner compressor is blocked by bushes touching the unit in the front is this a problem?

Question

I live in a condo and I noticed today that someone planted bushes right in front of my compressor to the air conditioner so they touch the uint. The bushes are only in the front and not on the sides or in the back. Will this cut down on the efficiency of the air conditioner because one side is blocked by these bushes which touch the unit.?

Answer 1

only if your ac is allergic to the bushes

Answer 2

as long as they do not interfere with airflow thru the case.

Answer 3

if the top of the A/C has been covered by the bushes yes, pull out the bushes ASAP it'll cost u a fortune in the long run. If the top fan is still open then it'll b just fine, it'll help hide the AC unit =P

Answer 4

If the bushes are blocking the vents (or even interfering with air-flow), then that will affect your air-con. The unit will have to work harder to pump air through the system.

If the bushes are too close to the heat-exchanger, then that will make it harder for the unit to dump heat, so again, it will have to work harder. The bushes would interfere with convection. This may or may not be more important than benefits from shading.

If the bushes are touching the compressor, they may cause it to overheat, since they will act like a blanket. There is a risk that the compressor will fail because of this. There is also a fire risk, depending on how hot and dry it is where you live.

Answer 5

Most if not all manufacturers require at least 6" clearance to coil for proper airflow. If the bushes are actually touching, you could end up with a problem as the bushes grow. Bent coil fins and friction leaks can occur.

Trim the bushes back to have at least 6" clearance and you'll be fine.

As others have said, shade helps the unit so don't remove them completely.

Answer 6

no . It may even help if the sun would shine on it as that would make it run hotter and not as efficiently.

Answer 7

HVAC Tech.:  More often than not the bushes are a good thing as they will provide extra shading for the unit, and any cooling effect around that unit will increase its efficiency. Be thankful for small blessings, I'll bet it looks better too.