Birds often look for places to set their nests and spend some rest periods, and your air conditioner unit serves as the perfect spot for them when they are not flying. Unfortunately, as beautiful as they are, birds tend to poop a lot, which could end up damaging the normal functionality of your cooling unit, leading to a complete breakdown ultimately. Follow these approaches to keep bird poop from ruining your air conditioner without harming the birds.
Place A Hardwood Board On The Top Of The Unit
Birds like to have a place to rest, which is why they tend to settle on your window air conditioner or split air conditioner outdoor unit. Their poop could easily embed in your AC, which can cause the internal air to become stale while ruining parts inside. To prevent this from happening, your first action should be to secure a hardwood board on the top of the unit. This means that even if birds settle on top of the unit, the hardwood board acts as a barrier that prevents bird poop from entering your air conditioning unit.
Cover The Area Around The Unit With Mesh Or Netting
Placing the hardwood board is a good start, but birds can often outsmart humans in their quest to create nest areas. Protect your air conditioner by covering the area around the outdoor unit with mesh or netting. This will prevent a bird from setting up a nest there in the first place. You can nail the mesh or netting in place to ensure that it doesn't fly away or get displaced outside your home. This protective layer will also prevent other debris like leaves and dust from getting into your air conditioner.
Get The Outdoor Unit Serviced Regularly
No matter how much you attempt to protect your outdoor cooling unit, keep in mind that its exposure to elements is inevitable. This means that debris, dirt, dust, leaves, moisture and bird poop could enter and damage internal parts of the machine. An AC technician will check the internal parts regularly to ensure that they remain in good working condition. During these servicing sessions, dirty parts are cleaned and faulty parts are repaired to ensure optimal performance of your air conditioner unit for longer. Air conditioning repairs and servicing will cost between $50 and $100 per hour, but the price is well worth it when you consider the thousands of dollars you will save without having to buy a new unit entirely.
Follow these step-by-step approaches in your quest to keep bird poop and other elements from ruining your air conditioner.