Last week, we talked about why it might not be a good idea to put your chicken coop near your air conditioner. But not all of us have jumped on the urban farming bandwagon, so chicken questions might not be at the forefront of your mind. This week, we’ll talk about a more frequently asked question–what about dogs and air conditioners?
If you’re a dog owner, you may have noticed a strange habit…your dog peeing ON your air conditioner! (And if you haven’t noticed this yet, pay attention now and you might!) The AC unit that sits outside of your house, called the condenser, is meant to withstand the elements, but unfortunately it is not protected against dog urine.
Who knows why dogs love to treat ACs as toilets (there is a theory that they feel the need to “mark their territory” on them, though at some point you would think they would consider their territory sufficiently marked!), but what we know for sure is that dogs and air conditioners are a bad combination. The urine can completely corrode the metal on the AC unit, to the point where it has to be entirely replaced.
Our advice is to block off your condenser with bushes or a fence so that your dog won’t be able to get near. And remember that your air conditioner needs room to breathe. Your air conditioner pulls air in so don’t make it work too hard by putting a solid structure next to your unit. Â Let us know if you need help figuring out a way to keep your air conditioner protected this summer!
Let us know if you have any other questions about how to maintain your air conditioner. You can contact Dan at 720.876.7166 or [email protected]. Stay cool!
