Can Dog Urine Ruin an AC Unit?
Problem Pets & Peeing Damage to an Outdoor Air Conditioner
As a pet owner, we love our furry friends. We feed them and pamper them and sometimes we have to put up with some annoying problems. One problem for dog owners comes to an issue in their backyard – dogs peeing on the AC unit. Have you been wondering if dog urine can damage your outdoor air conditioning unit? Unfortunately, the answer is yes.
The Lee Thompson Company gets called out all the time for homes in and around Houston for many different types of air conditioning repairs. We have handled just about every type of AC problem, and that includes dealing with units damaged from dog urine.
How Damaging is Dog Urine?
Of course, it can be quite frustrating when a dog pees somewhere they shouldn’t. There is a puddle, and it probably smells. But, left uncleaned, that urine can create more than just a wet mess. Urine can ruin an AC unit because of its acidic content. That acid will corrode parts of your AC including the aluminum fins and copper coils inside your unit.
Ongoing instances of urine on your air conditioning unit will eat away at the metal.
The issue may be larger than you realize. Not just because of the acid, but because of how frequent of a problem this may be. If you have caught your dog peeing on your AC, it is likely not their first time. Nor will it likely be their last. If your dog has picked the air conditioner as his new bathroom, she is likely going to do it again.
Signs a Dog is Peeing on your AC
Signs your dog (or another neighbor pup) is making your AC his new favorite potty spot:
- Higher energy bills
- Freon deficiency, needing replacement
- Unit not performing as well this year
- Needing to replace fins and/or coils
How To Handle Dog Urine Damage on an AC
If you catch a dog doing his business on your AC, there are some things you should do right away. Turn off your AC at the thermostat and turn off the power to your outdoor unit.
Then you should clean it right away by following these steps:
- Remove protective grills if there are any
- Spray your unit lightly with a hose focusing on coils that were directly “hit”
- Replace the protective grills. Wait an hour before turning on the AC and the unit itself
If just a few aluminum fins are affected and the coil is not leaking, you may not have that big of a problem. While fins are important, having less than a quarter of them peed on should not cause your cooling system to fail.
But having damaged fins means that the AC coils are exposed. If they appear to be corroded from the urine, you will probably need to have the coils repaired or replaced.
How to Stop a Dog from Peeing on Your AC?
Here are some tactics you can try to see if it stops your dog (or your neighbors’ dogs) from using your AC as their personal outhouse.
- Planting bushes or other greenery around an air conditioner should keep a pup from peeing there. However, you need to make sure to keep the plants at least 3 feet away from the AC so the unit has sufficient airflow to do its job.
- Put a fence around your air conditioner. Like the plant note above, you do need to ensure a fence or other structure is at least 3 feet away from the unit itself. That doesn’t just ensure proper air flow but it also makes the unit accessible for service and repairs.
- Spray pet deterrent around the AC unit can keep a dog from going near it. Do not spray it directly on the air conditioner as that could damage your system. By spraying it all around the unit is enough to create a sort of barrier for dogs.
Complete AC Repair in the Houston Area
If you are dealing with a damaged AC from dog urine or from any other issue, call on Houston’s AC experts at The Lee Thompson Company. Call us at 713-766-4846 or request service by sending us a message online.
We will come and check your system and make sure to leave with it operating properly and safely. Getting minor problems fixed right away can save you money in the long run. When your system is not working properly, it is having to work harder to keep your home cool.