How Mowing Your Lawn Could Lead To The Need For Air Conditioning Repair

30 November 2020
 Categories: , Blog


When you're mowing the grass on a hot day, you may not give any thought to your air conditioning unit outdoors. Your only thought of air conditioning might be related to how good your cool home will feel once you've finished mowing. However, if you're not careful about how you mow around your AC, you might accidentally cause damage. Here's a look at how mowing your yard could lead to the need for air conditioning repairs.

Debris Can Get Forced Inside The Condenser

Dust and debris get thrown through the air when you mow. Wet grass clippings might get forced in the condenser in the spring and coat the coils or the outside fins. Later in the fall, wet or dry leaves might get blown inside the condenser where they might draw insects or rodents over the winter if the leaves aren't cleaned out.

When your grass dies off in the summer due to lack of rain, your mower might kick up a lot of dust in areas where the grass is thin. This dust can coat the coils and interfere with how well the AC cools your house.

A Weed Trimmer Might Smash Fins

The fins on the outside of the condenser need to be open and clean all the time. A weed trimmer string can be strong enough to bend or damage a delicate fin. You might not even know this is happening until your air conditioner starts malfunctioning.

If weeds grow close to the condenser, trimming might throw clippings against the side of the unit and coat the fins, which will block airflow and lead to troubles with your air conditioner.

The Lawnmower Might Bump The Condenser

The condenser isn't delicate because it endures harsh weather and strong winds, but if you bump it hard enough with a push mower or riding mower, you might cause damage if a part is already loose.

If your AC suddenly malfunctions after you've mowed the yard, you might want to check the disconnect box and other connections to see if something came loose. You may even need to call an air conditioning repair service to see what happened and fix the problem.

Repairs Can Prevent Escalating Damage

The air conditioning repair service might need to clean the fins to get rid of grass clippings and clean the coils to get rid of dust and grime. In addition, they might have to open coils that have been smashed.

Sometimes cleaning the condenser will help your AC work properly, but if damage has been done due to overheating of the parts or a puncture to a coil, the technician may need to troubleshoot your AC and replace or repair parts as needed. Prompt repairs can often prevent escalating damage.

Damage Caused By Mowing Can Be Prevented

Damage to your air conditioner from mowing can be prevented. Create a border of gravel around the unit so you don't have to mow close to it. When using a riding or push mower, make passes so clippings fly out the opposite side rather than toward the air conditioner.

For help with your air conditioning, reach out to an HVAC technician in your area. 


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