Many homeowners aren’t aware that their pets could be severely damaging their HVAC systems. The acids in the urine of your pet are highly corrosive, and many dogs are highly territorial, leading them to urinate on areas around your home, including your air conditioning unit.

How Can Your Pet’s Urine Damage Your Air Conditioning System?
The outdoor condenser unit that your air conditioning system relies on to cool the air in your home is usually located in the backyard or on the side of the house, which also happens to be where your pets relieve themselves. If your pets are marking their territory and urinating on your air conditioning unit, over time, it will corrode the aluminum fins and copper coils. Aside from the obvious physical damage this will do to your system, the corrosion can have several other adverse effects as well.

Aluminum Fins
The first part of your air conditioning unit your pet’s urine will likely damage is the aluminum fins on the outside of your unit, which are responsible for acting as a heat sink to assist your condenser coil as it works to displace heat. If even a small section of these fins becomes damaged, it can have a drastic impact on the efficiency of your system, and if a large section is damaged, you may need to replace the system altogether.

Condenser Coils
In extreme cases where a pet has been urinating on the same portion of an air conditioning unit for a long time, the corrosion can reach the copper condenser coils, which can lead to some severe problems. The condenser coils contain refrigerant, which is used to remove heat from the air inside your home, but it can also be extremely harmful if it’s ingested or gets on your skin. Sometimes, if it is only a small leak, an HVAC technician can repair the damage, but beyond a certain point, you may need to replace your system. Call your HVAC technician for assistance at the first sign of damage to your condenser coils, and never attempt to repair the problem yourself.

Prevention
Besides keeping a watchful eye on them, the best way to keep your pets from urinating on your air conditioning unit and damaging it is to create a physical barrier around your system. It’s important to keep 2-3 feet of clear space around your system to allow it to run efficiently, so make sure you install your fence or barrier accordingly.

Worried your pets might be damaging your air conditioning unit?
Call Fahrhall to book a service appointment!

Fahrhall has been proudly serving the Windsor-Essex and Chatham-Kent regions since 1967. We are committed to providing our customers and our community with reliable service and quality equipment.

Check out our Facebook and Twitter
for more great tips and to stay up to date with our latest promotions.