The heating and cooling unit is a very important part of the modern home. Homes that get too hot in the summer can be life threatening. In the winter, a cold home can be hazardous to health. It can also be hazardous to the plumbing system, which can freeze, pipes can break, and then there is a costly repair.
When planning a HVAC system, it is not just the internal ductwork in the house that is important, the outer heat pump or cooling unit needs to be strategically placed as well.
The heat pump should be set higher than anticipated yearly snowfall. This allows it run better, and allows for better drainage, because it sits above the snow. By surrounding the unit with a base of stone, it keeps it clean from dirt and grass. It also helps keep the unit level. And, something most people may not think about until it comes time for a tech to look at the unit, it keep the serviceman’s feet clean as he may go back and forth from within the house, to outside to the unit.
By having rocks around the base, it makes it much easier and quicker for the serviceman to go back and forth within and without the house without tracking as much dirt and mud. Remember, if you require him to clean his boots to keep your carpets clean, you will be paying for that time. So make it as easy for him as you can. That starts with thoughtful planning, which includes a rock base around your unit
Having shrubs around the unit may hide it from view, provide a windbreak, and shade the unit to help it run more efficiently, but shrubs must be far enough away to not interfere with the unit’s performance or the ability of any serviceman to work on the unit.
In other words, whether your service man is 5’6” and 150 pounds, or 6’3” and 250 pounds, he needs to be able to get in there and maneuver to do what he needs to do. Don’t assume that every serviceman will be small, wiry, and able to squeeze through limited space to reach your unit. Don’t plant prickly shrubs around your unit. No serviceman wants to work around thorns. Don’t grow an exotic garden with specialty plants around the unit. You cannot expect a serviceman to treat them with the same respect you do. There needs to be a path wide enough for the serviceman to get to the unit. Plan your garden or back yard with these thoughts in mind, and with the awareness that your bushes, shrubs, or garden will continue to grow and develop from year to year.
Servicemen operate on a basis of professionalism, efficiency and speed and no serviceman wants to tiptoe around the tulips. If you require him to do so, and he has to take an extra hour or two to do his job, you will be paying for that time in dollars, so consider that before you plant an exotic garden or shrubs too near your cooling or heating unit.
Talk to your local HVAC company, keep these thoughts in mind and discuss them, and you will end up with a better system that can be serviced or cleaned easily for years to come.
