Air Conditioning Basics: Does Rain Impact the Outdoor A/C Unit?

On a rainy day in the Coastal Bend area, you may catch yourself thinking “Does rain affect my air conditioning unit?” There are a few things you should know about how your outdoor unit weathers the bad weather. 

How Does Rain Affect My Air Conditioning Unit?

The outdoor weather conditions, specifically rain, do not affect the performance of your air conditioning system under most situations. Because they are created to put up with rain, heat, freezing, and wind, your outdoor unit was built with a cabinet to protect the interior components. This cabinet prevents water from reaching any mechanical parts that may be damaged by water and cause you cooling problems.

You may, however, be concerned about your cabinet showing wear. As time passes, the paint on the exterior may start to chip and take away from the beauty of your home’s exterior. Debris becoming caught in the side vents can also cause an unpleasant appearance. An even more significant issue can be caused by flooding. If the unit becomes submerged in water, your cooling system may cease to work and require maintenance. To prevent this, it should be installed on high and dry ground.

A good rain storm can actually help to rinse the salt and corrosive materials off your condenser coils and can help the unit last longer.  When going through a drought like we have been in the Coastal Bend you need to rinse your outside coils off with a water hose periodically.  Don’t use pressure to spray it because that will pack the dirt into the coil more.  Just use a gentle rinse.

To learn more about our products and services, contact us at Mathews CCAC Inc. With a great selection of products and excellent customer service, we serve the needs of the South Texas area.

Our goal is to help educate our customers in Corpus Christi, Texas about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). For more information about air conditioning basics and other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Resource guide.

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