Here in the Phoenix area, it’s practically unimaginable to live life without an air conditioning system. Those long, hot days are something to escape, making your home the perfect comfort getaway. Unfortunately, there’s not a commercial HVAC manufacturer that’s designed and offered aesthetically appealing units. Instead, central home air conditioners are boxy, bulky, and just unattractive. Fortunately for homeowners that take pride in exterior appearance, these units can be hidden from sight.
Ways to Hide an Outside Air Conditioner
The trick is to find a concealment that works (read: blends) with the outdoor theme. Whatever landscaping might be decorating your home, that’s what you want to tap into so it blends and doesn’t stand out. There are several ways to hide an air conditioner, it’s just narrowing down the long list of choices which is generally most difficult.
If you live in a hot climate, your air conditioner is probably your favorite major appliance. However, it can quickly become a major party crasher in the middle of your backyard summer barbecue. That same hulking, boxy piece of machinery that cools your house can be an eyesore in your garden. But don’t sweat it. There are plenty of ways you can hide, mask, conceal and block your air conditioning unit so you won’t even know it’s there. —Houzz.com
What you definitely should not do is to block air flow, ensure the unit is accessible for maintenance service, repairs, and, replacement. When airflow is blocked, the unit struggles to cool and will eventually overheat. Once it overheats, it can break down, and even cause damage to vital parts. Some homeowners make the mistake of concealing their air conditioners in ways that aren’t easily accessible. This can create a situation where a fence and/or landscaping must be moved in order to perform maintenance or make repairs.
If you want to hide your residential air conditioner, you can do so by following one of these tips:
- Install a privacy screen. These concealers come in different colors, sizes, and are made from different materials. Because there are so many options, it’s usually a cinch to find one that blends well with a home. Some are made large enough to hide more than an air conditioning unit, like garbage cans.
- Put-in an arch trellis. Like privacy screens, these are also available in a wide assortment. What’s great about an arch trellis is that it’s easy to use with other hardscape features, supporting vines and other softscaping. Use caution when going with this choice because vines can grow over and into the unit.
- Large terra cotta pots. Another great option are large terra cotta pots, which can be painted to blend-in, and, filled with plants for better concealment. Although these don’t stake into the ground, when filled with soil, they are heavy enough to stand-up to strong winds.
- Plant hedges around the unit. Some homeowners opt to go green all the way and plant a hedge around their air conditioning units. This is a nice way to hide an outside unit, and, blend well into other landscaping. If you choose this option, be sure to leave plenty of space so the roots don’t grow under the support slab, or, worse, into the unit.
Whatever choice you decide to use, make sure that it provides plenty of room for access and allows for free air flow. If your unit doesn’t seem to be as efficient, or, is acting-up, give us a call and one of our friendly, expert technicians will be come out to diagnose the problem.
