I've hear about those and that if you us one you better have mineral free water or they will destroy your coil in short time. And I would think keeping the coil wet would just cause the dust and dirt and other crap in the air to just plug it up more.
@Letfreedomring nailed it I have used window screen wrapped around the outside unit and held in place with strong magnets.
Way too simple.
Then debris does not fall off though but cottonwood can be brushed away with your hands and it balls up in your hands like a ball of cotton.
Add that to your favorite dip bait.
You can make a cloth/tarp sun shade or a lattice one pretty easily to keep the sun off the unit and that absolutely does work.
Not over the unit so much unless it is 4 feet over it.
Now a large shade will also shade that side of that rock house.
Way too simple.
Then debris does not fall off though but cottonwood can be brushed away with your hands and it balls up in your hands like a ball of cotton.
Add that to your favorite dip bait.
You can make a cloth/tarp sun shade or a lattice one pretty easily to keep the sun off the unit and that absolutely does work.
Not over the unit so much unless it is 4 feet over it.
Now a large shade will also shade that side of that rock house.
I asked for advise from HVAC techs. Does that include you? I know at least one replied.
The unit is on the north side of the house so it is in the shade 100% of the time.
Window screen will not restrict it as much as coils covered in debris.
It only takes 2 minutes to clean that screen so weekly is no issue.
We have dozens of tall cottonwoods lining the creek 100 yards away and buddies house backs up to the creek and his coils were clogged in a week when it snowed cottonwood.
Definitely seen it on his electrical usage. And in how much the unit stayed on and how much better it cooled the house.
If window screen hinders the flow it was not noticed on his unit.
It only takes 2 minutes to clean that screen so weekly is no issue.
We have dozens of tall cottonwoods lining the creek 100 yards away and buddies house backs up to the creek and his coils were clogged in a week when it snowed cottonwood.
Definitely seen it on his electrical usage. And in how much the unit stayed on and how much better it cooled the house.
If window screen hinders the flow it was not noticed on his unit.
Big difference in air filter screen and window screen. I wouldnt think window screen would restrict flow, where as the air filter material will. Most HVAC guys I know run the cheap return filters because the higher merv rated ones restrict the flow so much.
Agree with LFR and Swampratt.
Window screen held in place by magnets is the solution. I have been doing this for years on my condensing unit since my neighbor to the south decided to plant cotton wood trees in his backyard.
Like yourself I got fed up with the complete tear down that was necessary yearly to properly clean it.
You will need to keep an eye on it when the cotton wood starts packing on because it will quickly block the screen wire. Easy to brush off though, takes about a minute.
You also should use pleated air filters on your return air inside your home. Use a lower merve rating like 6 to 8 and you will actually be removing trash out of the return airstream.
The fiberglass, hog hair cheapies are useless.
Window screen held in place by magnets is the solution. I have been doing this for years on my condensing unit since my neighbor to the south decided to plant cotton wood trees in his backyard.
Like yourself I got fed up with the complete tear down that was necessary yearly to properly clean it.
You will need to keep an eye on it when the cotton wood starts packing on because it will quickly block the screen wire. Easy to brush off though, takes about a minute.
You also should use pleated air filters on your return air inside your home. Use a lower merve rating like 6 to 8 and you will actually be removing trash out of the return airstream.
The fiberglass, hog hair cheapies are useless.
Mr. Glock is closer to correct
