The outdoor unit is made of thick metal and is suitable for outdoor installation. However, he is not safe from the destructive effects of falling icicles and ice. Even if the case remains intact, the risk of a break in the communication tubes remains high. Their restoration and filling with freon can cost the owner of the split system 30-50% of the cost of the air conditioner. It is possible to prevent damage to the device when installing a protective visor or a full anti-vandal box.
Do you need a visor above the outdoor unit
The desire to protect the external unit of the split system and extend its life is justified. It is the outdoor element with a compressor that is the most expensive part of the climate equipment. Protecting the air conditioner outdoor unit with a visor is the most affordable and easiest way to extend the life of the device.
A canopy over the air conditioner is recommended to be installed in the following cases:
- The roof of the house is pitched. Ice and icicles form on the overhang. Small pieces of ice will not damage the device - they only leave dents on the case. However, large icicles can disable the entire freon supply mechanism.
- Formation of ice and snow caps on the device.
- Shedding of the old facade cladding.
- Air conditioning on the ground floor of a multi-story building. In this case, the damage from falling objects increases.
It is more difficult to protect the device from the destructive effects of vandals if it is installed on the ground floor.
Disadvantages and possible problems
A protective visor ensures reliable operation of the device under any external conditions. However, it can cause certain inconveniences:
- A significant accumulation of dirt under the canopy can degrade the performance of the split system. In addition, birds often settle here. During rain, the fan and heat exchanger are cleaned. The device protected by a peak will not be washed naturally.
- Installing the system on the fifth floor and above requires the involvement of industrial climbers, which increases costs.
- If the device is not installed correctly, it is possible to reduce the air flow to the heat exchanger.
- The presence of the canopy makes it difficult to repair and replace the external unit.
For these reasons, many owners of air conditioners do not seek to protect the outside of the air conditioner.
DIY air conditioner visor
The air conditioner visor is a lightweight metal construction. To create it you will need:
- steel sheet;
- welding machine;
- corner with sides 25x25 mm, made of steel 4 mm thick.
Corners will serve as a support for the entire structure. The protective part is made of steel sheet. If necessary, to create a reinforced visor, choose a thicker iron or galvanized steel.
Before assembly, structures are determined with the angle of inclination of the visor and its dimensions.
Step-by-step instruction:
- Measure the length, width and height of the air conditioner. Add 10 cm to the received data. The visor should not fit snugly to the device. There should be a large protrusion at the top of the protective structure.
- Create a frame visor. For this, angles of 550, 250 and 230 mm are used. Corners 550 and 250 mm are welded to each other at an angle of 70-75 degrees. The slope of the visor relative to the horizon should be 15-20 degrees.Snow and ice should slide well from a metal sheet under the weight of its own weight. Then take the third corner of 230 mm and weld it with one end to the free side of the corner of 250 mm. The second end is connected to the center of the angle of 550 mm. The resulting triangle will have a protruding side of 200 mm.
- Repeating the above steps, assemble the second part of the frame.
- The next step depends on the height of the air conditioner. For example, if it is located on the ground floors, the structure itself can be assembled on the ground. When reinforcing the structure you will need 2 crossbars. The lateral parts of the base are welded to the transverse parts. An iron sheet of appropriate dimensions is attached from above. To do this, 4 holes are made in the upper corners and the metal sheet, and then fasten the elements with bolts. There should be rubber gaskets under the fasteners to prevent moisture from accessing the damaged edges of the holes in the steel sheet.
With a high placement height of the split system, it is more convenient to install the visor in parts.
First, a base is fixed to the wall from the sides of the air conditioner, and only then transverse profiles and a metal sheet are welded.
Vandal Protection
To protect the external unit of the split system from vandals and children, a special grill is installed. Standard box features:
- length - 80 cm;
- depth - 50 cm;
- height - 60 cm;
- mesh size - 20x20 or 25x25 mm;
- wire diameter - 5 mm.
For the manufacture of the structure you will need 2 corners of 600 mm and 2 corners of 623 mm for vertical elements. The horizontal corners for face protection should have a length of 800 mm, for the 2 lower side elements - 500 mm. Keep the visor will be 2 corners of 550 mm.
After welding the frame of the air conditioner, a protective grid of 25x25 mm is attached to it. Mounting plates are welded to the rear corners on each side. The steel sheet is screwed onto 4 bolts, for which the holes in the frame and the protective panel are pre-drilled. Then the box is attached to the wall on the anchor.
Installation of a peak for the conditioner
Since the design of the visor has a certain windage, it is better to entrust the installation to professionals. However, residents of the first floors can carry out the installation of the visor independently.
The difficulty lies in the need to accurately mark the mounting location. Also, at the time of attachment, the structure will have to be held in hands. Therefore, with an independent installation, it is better to enlist the help of another person.
The sequence of actions when installing the protective visor on the air conditioner:
- Mark the technological holes for the frame mounts.
- Drill holes for anchors in the wall with a puncher or drill with a victorious soldering. With a metal drill, make holes in the corners.
- It is better to fasten the visor on 8-10 mm anchor bolts.
- Insert the anchor into the obtained holes and put the frame with the holes on the thread of the fastener. To tighten the nuts, 1 cm must remain. At this stage, 2 people perform the work.
- Tighten all nuts on anchors to maximum. To facilitate and accelerate the work, it is better to use an electric drill with the appropriate nozzle.
For reliable installation, at least 6 points for attaching the canopy to the wall are required. A well-fixed design provides reliable protection for the outdoor unit of the climate system.
Visors should be installed over air conditioners placed on the walls of multi-storey buildings. This is due to the high risk of icicles and construction debris falling. For private one-story buildings, this threat is minimal, but it is worth it to be safe. Protecting the air conditioner from icicles, accumulating snow and vandals is the main task of the owners of split systems, which must be solved immediately after the installation of climate control equipment.
