I was told by an HVAC technician that an outside air-conditioner condenser should be covered in the winter, when it’s not in use, to protect it from snow getting inside. He recommended covering the unit with a piece of plywood weighed down with a rock so the sides would be left open to prevent condensation from forming inside. I tried this, but soon found that a heavy wind would get under the plywood and blow it off. I also tried a small tarp tied to the condenser with wire ties, but the tarp would get torn up before the winter was over. The drawing at left shows my solution. A plastic saucer sled and three bungee cords work perfectly as a weatherproof cover. I drilled three holes equally spaced on the circumference of the saucer sled and attached it to the louvres on the sides of the condenser. The saucer sled has lasted for years.
Gene Klesser, Madison, CT
Edited and Illustrated by Charles Miller
From Fine Homebuilding #252
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Yeah true! Outdoor air conditioner covers will protect your outdoor condenser for a good 5 to 6 months during the fall and winter months and prevent just about anything from getting into your AC unit and disturbing the coils and operating system. It also means that your AC unit will most likely avoid getting large amounts of snow and ice in your air conditioner, which could severely damage the coils, cooling "fins" and internal operating system. The air conditioner cover needs to be made out of a high quality so that condensation does not build up causing further problems. For more info about this consulting the http://morrisairconditioninggroup.com/ professionals is important so that no confusion is left.