Many of us have air conditioning units, especially if we live in hot climates. If you are a happy owner of one of these, then outside it may look not the best way and spoil your landscape. Wanna hide this eye sore? I’ve prepared some DIYs for you to cover the AC unit and get a decent look. The first cover is made of furring strips and one bundle of lath. The piece looks like an outdoor shower, it’s kind of a box built of wooden planks that are painted white. You can actually use any other paint or finish.The next DIY was inspired by Pinterest. It’s a three-sided screen that would be placed on the ground around the unit. It’s made of corner posts, lattice, outside and interior wood trim pieces. This cover makes the AC unit look good and adds character to the garden look.The third craft is made of lumber, and it’s big enough to cover not only an AC unit but also pool equipment. Build a box of lumber of required dimensions making up a frame first. Here the lumber wasn’t painted, just finished but you can go for any color or pattern.

The screen in this tutorial is just two-sided because shrubs will help soften it. The screen is built of frames that are made of wood planks. A finish or a color is up to you.In this craft we’ll cover the AC unit with plywood. Plywood weighted down with bricks does a good job of protecting your air conditioner condenser in winter.This AC cover was built of reclaimed wood, you can also use pallets here. You may stain it or paint the way you like. The last step was to attach an awesome hose holder.No wood for this cover, to make it you’ll need plastic privacy lattice screens. The author picked up wooden pickets and hit them into the ground with a rubber mallet. A few bags of river rocks allowed not to worry about the lawn.The next cover is more solid and took more time to make it. The cover was made of wooden boards, the authors first built a solid frame and then attached planks on it. It was given a weathered and worn look with a cool stain. A couple of potted flowers on the sides finished the look.

In this project the cover is made of wooden planks and fabric. It’s not to cover it to save your garden look but it will help the unit to survive a winter. Read how to make a frame and attach the fabric to it right.This cover for the air conditioner is for inside. It perfectly hides the conditioner and with a chalkboard finish you can leave messages and images on it, so practical and so cool!Here’s another outdoor AC screen built of louvers. The item was assembled and painted and then put right on the ground to hide the ugly unit. The kids helped a lot to build the screen, so you can ask your children to help too.To be honest, I have a love-hate relationship with our central air conditioning unit. That is to say, I love the central air conditioner when it's hot outside and fills the house with refreshing, cool air, but hate it when it's hot outside and quits working. Simple ways to keep your central air conitioner running efficientlyAs a homeowner for more than twenty years I have had a few repairs done on the central air conditioner that we rely on so heavily during the summer months.

This much I know without a doubt, it's far cheaper to maintain this appliance on a regular basis than it is to repair or replace it.window ac units expensive run In fact, Carrier, a leading manufacturer of air conditioners, states:air conditioning unit hvac Proper air conditioning maintenance can help your unit last decades. home air conditioner compressor replacement costOn the flip-side, a neglected air conditioner loses roughly 5% of its efficiency each year that it operates without upkeep. Fortunately, there are some very simple things that any homeowner can do to keep their A/C unit running efficiently and perhaps even less often throughout the warm months. A/C unit needs room for airflow 1. Keeps plants cut back around unitLet's face it, outdoor air conditioning condensers are ugly and it seems that homeowners will do their best to hide them from sight.

Plants, fences and trellises tend to be popular ways to go about doing this cover-up. Yet, air conditioners need an adequate amount of air flow around all sides in order to perform at peak efficiency. This is why experts recommend that landscaping and other objects be placed about three feet away from the unit itself. Cleaning up leaves and other debris on a regular basis, as well as trimming or cutting back bushes, trees and other plants all help increase the air that your unit needs to draw into its system. 2. Wash pollen and other debris off condenser unitIf your outdoor air condenser unit is in an unnoticeable location, it's very easy to forget about cleaning it regularly. But you don't want to neglect this very easy chore. The condenser pulls in air, and when it does, pollen and other debris often cling to its exterior. This will restrict airflow and cause a decrease in cooling efficiency and perhaps even cause the unit to overheat. Pull out your garden hose and with a hard stream of water, working top to bottom, hose off each side of the condenser.

Closed registers can freeze A/C coils 3. Do not close any registers completelyWith a two-story house the upper level is often warmer than the lower level even with the central air running. This is the case with our home, and knowing that hot air rises and cool air falls I figured I could easily balance the air temperature by adjusting the register (air vent) openings. It is true that closing some registers on the cooler lower level forces more air out of the registers upstairs. The cooler air then works its way downstairs and the air temperature becomes more even throughout the house. However, by doing this the air conditioning unit may completely shut off! In fact, when I totally closed some lower level registers, the coils in the unit froze and the A/C quit functioning. Luckily, by shutting off the entire cooling system and giving the coils time to thaw, the A/C was up and running again within a few hours. Do not completely close registers. To balance the air temperature, registers can be slightly closed, but do not close them completely.

(It took me two times to learn this lesson.) Additionally, make sure supply vents are not blocked. 4. Change the filter regularlyMaintaining a central air conditioning unit is all about maintaining airflow. That is why it is important to regularly change the air filter on the system. Filter packages usually state a recommended schedule for replacement (i.e. every 90 days or so) but it really depends more on how much the unit is running and how dirty the air is. During hot months it may be beneficial to change the air filter more frequently. The process is often as simple as sliding the old filter out and sliding in the new one. According to Trane air conditioner manufacturers, ...regular cleaning/changing of your filter will ensure the best filtration, increase the life of your machine, and give you peace of mind that you’re breathing easier. 5. Set temperatures in a programmable thermostatIt stands to reason that the less the air conditioner is actually in use, the less wear and tear it endures.

For anyone with a programmable thermostat, setting the temperature by day and time is a good way to reduce the unit's overall usage. For example, we set our temperature higher during the daytime and colder during the hours when we sleep. It's far more efficient to program in desired temperatures than it is to shut the unit off completely and then turn it on after a day of work. 6. Keep the sun outAnother excellent way to keep the air conditioner from needing to run as often is to block the sun during the hottest part of the day. During the hours when the sun shines in the most, blinds or drapes should be closed. This way the home's interior temperature will not rise as much. Additionally, consider planting trees or installing awnings to diffuse some of the sunlight. 7. Get a professional inspection and cleaning done annuallyBefore each cooling season it is a great idea to get a regular maintenance check and cleaning done on the unit by an HVAC professional. Service professionals usually inspect the control box;