screening an AC unit to keep out debris from the cooling fins

[jsk2]

Yesterday I spent most of 3 hours hosing and picking out cottonwood fuzz and other debris from the cooling fins of my 2 outdoor AC units. I usually do this once a year after the cottonwood stops. I missed last year. I was thinking of using screen door like mesh to wrap around the outside of the units to make them easier to clean. I thought about cheap furnace filters. Any intersting solutions out there? I googled AC & cottonwood and came up with an inventor in my home state trying to interest investers in his product. Cheers

[finding z0]

Yesterday I spent most of 3 hours hosing and picking out cottonwood fuzz and other debris from the cooling fins of my 2 outdoor AC units. I

usually do this once a year after the cottonwood stops. I missed last year. I was thinking of using screen door like mesh to wrap around the outside of the units to make them easier to clean. I thought about cheap furnace filters. Any intersting solutions out there? I googled AC

& cottonwood and came up with an inventor in my home state trying to interest investers in his product. Cheers

[Edwin Pawlowski]

There is a company that makes filters for industrial cooling towers. They use a polypropylene mesh. It is not as fine as a filter, but is fine enough to keep out leaves, the cottonwood stuff,etc. It is washable. If you can find the right material, you can make your own.

Inside you want fine filtration to clean the air you breath. Outdoors, you only have to keep the debris that clogs the fins.

[finding z0]

Absolutely. I was thinking that rather than metal mesh, I might try to dig out some sort of plastic type flexible mesh.

[Robert Mech]

In article , "finding z0" writes: |> Yesterday I spent most of 3 hours hosing and picking out cottonwood |> fuzz and other debris from the cooling fins of my 2 outdoor AC units. I |> |> usually do this once a year after the cottonwood stops. I missed last |> year. I was thinking of using screen door like mesh to wrap around the |> outside of the units to make them easier to clean. I thought about |> cheap furnace filters. Any intersting solutions out there? I googled AC |> |> & cottonwood and came up with an inventor in my home state trying to |> interest investers in his product. Cheers

With a number of cottonwoods in the area, the last thing I wanted to do was to spend hours cleaning my new Carrier A/C. I got some fiberglass screen cut to length from a hardware store and magnetic strip. Cut the strip to length, drilled holes for the screw heads and put the screen under the strips. So far so good after one summer and two winters.

I got the magnetic strip from

my case, P-1201, as the thicker the more holding strength. Not cheap, and shipping seems to be steep, judging from the final cost. But it was worth it as I couldn't think of an easier and more esthetic method at the time.

Robert

[finding z0]

I ordered some polypropylene mesh (.03x.05" mesh size) from McMaster-Carr yesterday. I think it's here today (by e-tracking). I already have magnetic strip rolls from the portable car moldings I made several years to lessen the auto dings on my then new car. We'll see. I heard about the fiberglass mesh from Ace hardware, but wondered if the flow might be restricted?Cheers