All of us are aware of the importance of the air conditioner in our lives. The rise in global temperatures has turned them from a luxury from a few decades ago to a necessity today. Their presence in our homes is the primary reason why we can enjoy a comfortable sleep when the outside weather is sweltering.
However, while no one can deny their importance in our lives, all of us agree that the outer part of window air conditioners is downright ugly. That is why we have come up with this guide about how to hide window air conditioner outside and prevent it from ruining your elegantly designed interior.
#1: Hide it with Plants
Provided the outer unit of your window A/C is placed in the back or front yard, you can easily hide it within an array of plants. Doing this won’t only hide the air conditioner – which is your primary motive – but it will also improve the efficiency of your air conditioner. Here’s how.
Plants have an open structure that allows easy ingress and exit of air. They will also moisten the air if you water your plants on a daily basis. The resulting humid air will make it easy for your air conditioner to dump the heat it has sucked from your indoors.
Their dense foliage will allow the plants to hide the unit. All you have to do when shopping for plants is to make sure that you choose those that don’t have invasive roots, as they can damage the unit from below. There’s another factor you’d have to be careful with when using plants to hide your AC.
People with a garden might tell you that plants tend to get extremely bushy if you become careless about their trimming. You’d have to trim them every week to make sure they don’t grow too large to envelop the entire unit and inhibit its airflow.
#2: Buy an air conditioner enclosure
Hiding your air conditioner with plants is excellent. But not all people have the time to water their plants on a daily- and trim them on a weekly basis. Such people require a one-time fix. They aren’t looking for something that will keep them occupied for a specific time every week.
It is precisely for those people that air conditioner enclosures are made for. These decorative units resemble garden fences in their design to complement your outdoors. They also have hinged panels to let you optimize the concealment according to your space. That’s not all.
Air conditioner enclosures are available in multiple colors. You can easily select the one which is according to your taste or, better, matches the paint of your exterior. Those of you who are weary of making a choice need not worry either. Some of these enclosures are available in camouflage patterns as well.
Provided you can afford to pay over the odds, you can get your hands on a heavy-duty enclosure. They are made of resin and steel and are further supported by ground anchors. Years of exposure to bad weather and searing UV rays of sun won’t do anything to their appearance.
#3: Lattice screen and planter box
Not sure you’d want to spend on an air conditioner enclosure? Don’t worry. The cute combo of lattice screen and planter box has got you covered. Those of you who love to see their outdoors neat and tidy would appreciate that this solution won’t hide your patio under layers of debris and leaves.
There are two things you need to be wary of before using this combo to hide your air conditioner. Make sure that the clearance between the lattice screen and the air conditioner is big enough. Or else the screen might make it difficult for the heat to escape the ac.
Also, put together this combo in such a way that it remains accessible for maintenance. The holes in the screen which would let the heat of your ac out will also take in dirt and debris. You have to clean it regularly or, again, your AC’s efficiency will nosedive.
#4: Two-sided picket fence
I know what you’re thinking. You’re wondering how is one supposed to cover three sides of the air conditioner’s outdoor with a two-sided picket fence. Won’t that leave one side exposed? We don’t have to answer this question. Outdoor Essentials has done it for us.
This two-sided picket fence is designed in such a manner that it lets you hide those two sides of your air conditioner’s outdoor that are visible from the gate. As a result, it becomes less likely for the person entering your house to notice your AC’s presence.
Also, while you didn’t ask for it, there’s an added benefit if you decide to cover your AC’s outer unit with a two-sided picket fence. With the third side fully exposed – since the fourth will be facing the wall – you won’t have to worry about the picket blocking the AC’s airflow and adversely affecting its efficiency.
Note: If you aren’t convinced that a two-sided picket fence would hide your ac in the way you want, you can go for a three-sided structure. Just make sure that the slits in the fence are large enough to allow airflow and let the ac perform at its optimum level.
Conclusion
Regardless of whether you end up selecting an array of plants, an air conditioner enclosure, a combo of lattice screen and planter box, or a two-sided picket fence, as long as you don’t block its airflow and the ac remains accessible, covering its ugly outdoor unit is just fine.
Also, no matter which method you end up using, take careful measurements of your AC. If your unit is sitting on a base, include it in the measurements as well. Make sure the solution you’re going to use to hide the air conditioner is at least a few inches bigger than it on all sides.
Please get in touch if you think you have a better idea to cover the outdoor unit of an ac.