Landscaping

Landscaping

Yard Work and How it Can Affect Your HVAC System

Yard Work and How it Can Affect Your HVAC System

You might think that yard work is just necessary to keep your lawn and landscaping looking good. However, it also affects your home's HVAC, because key components of the system are located outdoors, including the compressor and condenser coil. If you're not taking steps to protect the HVAC unit, you'll see the effects in various ways, including higher energy bills, costly repairs or a premature component replacement.

Here's what you can do to safeguard the unit during yard care activities:

  • Shut the unit down at the breaker, then take off the protective metal shield so you can access inside to remove debris like clumps of grass, rodent nesting materials, cobwebs and dead leaves. Doing this periodically helps preserve vital airflow and the coil's heat transfer capabilities.

  • When you mow, keep the discharge aimed away from the unit, so cut grass doesn't get blown into it and clog the coil.

  • Once you're done mowing, give the condenser unit a light rinse with the garden hose to remove any clinging debris so it doesn't impede air movement through the coil.

  • Trim back any vegetation or shrubs around the unit so there's at least two feet of clearance on all sides. Gather up and dispose of the clippings afterwards so they don't accumulate on the coil.

  • Take care using yard equipment like the weed trimmer around the outdoor unit. If you're not careful, you might accidentally bend the coil fins, damage the tubing and cause a refrigerant leak, or cut the control wires.

  • If the area around the unit is bare soil, mud can splash up on the coil and fan when it rains heavily and make heat transfer less effective. To prevent this, lay out landscape fabric topped with decorative stones or mulch in a two-foot radius.

  • Invest in a protective filter for the outdoor unit to keep fine bits of debris away from the coil and fan. These filters are inexpensive, easy to install and don't block essential airflow.

To learn more about how yard work can affect the HVAC system in your Broken Arrow home, contact us at Air Assurance.

Our goal is to help educate our customers in the Tulsa and Broken Arrow, Oklahoma area about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). For more information about yard work and other HVAC topics, call us at 918-217-8273.

Landscaping

Your Landscaping Could Help Your Cooling Bill this Summer

Your Landscaping Could Help Your Cooling Bill this Summer

Homeowners tend to use their cooling systems at full blast during our hot Oklahoma summers. Cut the necessity of this by strategically landscaping and placing plants and arbors near windows to shade your home, which will help to cut your energy bill by significant amounts.

Consider Your Climate

Oklahoma is in a temperate climate zone and, according to Energy.gov, homeowners need to make the most of what shade they can grow around their residences. In addition, the microclimate or climate immediately surrounding your home also needs to be taken into account when landscaping a yard. Your home may be in a sunny belt, located on a southern slope, or built near a body of water, which can all affect your home's microclimate.

What to Add to the Landscape

If your home is very hot in summer, plan to include the following in your yard:

  • Deciduous trees—which lose their leaves in winter—that have large, spreading tops and which are planted on the south side of your home will give you shade in summer but not block the sun in winter.

  • Lower growing trees on the western side of your home will provide shade against the afternoon sun.

  • Shrubs and groundcovers protect paved areas from exposure to the sun and cut down on reflected heat.

  • Arbors and trellises are ideal for climbing vines, which also help to protect your home from the sun.

Check how large trees and shrubs are going to grow as you don't want to cause problems with roots interfering with drains, sidings, or foundations. Choose plants that are native to the region as they will grow to be hardy and healthy.

Servicing of Equipment

Of course, the other way to save energy is make sure that your HVAC systems are working efficiently by servicing them regularly. When you sign an Air Assurance Extended Service Plan, you become a VIP, receiving benefits such as 24/7 service, discounts, and peace of mind.

Contact Air Assurance today for advice on how to lower your energy bills through thoughtful landscaping and other methods. We've proudly served the Broken Arrow area since 1985.

Our goal is to help educate our customers in the Tulsa and Broken Arrow, Oklahoma area about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). 

Image courtesy of Shutterstock

Air Conditioning, Insulation, Landscaping

Fall Landscaping: Plant To Maximize Your Home's Insulation

If you are planning some landscaping work this fall, you might be able to kill the proverbial two birds with one stone, making your yard more beautiful while improving the insulation of your home.That's right: Those shrubs and trees, if placed properly, can serve as insulation for your home. They can even pay for themselves through lower heating and cooling bills. The key is to plant the right foliage in the right places.Here is a brief guide on using landscaping as insulation in different parts of your yard.North of the HouseOklahoma truly is, "where the wind comes sweeping down the plain," and it has the winter wind chills to prove it. You can protect your home from the air's unwelcome cooling effects by planting a windbreak north of the house. You'll want the plants to be evergreen, so they have full foliage during the winter months. It is recommended that windbreaks be planted at a distance from the house equal to 2-5 times the height of the mature evergreens.West of the HouseFor the hot Oklahoma summers, you'll want to strategically plant shade trees to block the sun's heating rays. The most important location for doing so is to the west of the house, where the walls receive direct sunlight during the late afternoon heat. You'll want to use deciduous trees, though, so they will drop their leaves in the winter and allow the sun's warmth to cut down on your heating bills.South of the HouseDeciduous trees can also help on the south side of the house at midday, but these trees should be located closer to the house, and be tall enough to shade the south-facing roof.Near the Air ConditionerShading your outdoor air conditioning unit can improve its energy-efficiency. Just be certain that you don't plant too close to it, where thick foliage could impede air flow.At Air Assurance, we can help you save energy in many ways, from using landscaping as insulation to utilizing the ground itself to heat and cool your Tulsa-area home. Contact us today to learn how we can help you improve your home's energy efficiency -- and comfort.Our goal is to help educate our customers about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems).  For more information, click here.Air Assurance services Tulsa, Broken Arrow and the surrounding areas. To get started, check out our website or see our current promotions.