Tips To Keep Bugs Out of Your Air Conditioner

Bugs crawling into your house through the air conditioner is a problem nobody wants to deal with. This usually happens with window-mounted AC units where there are gaps between the unit and the window frame. Here in South Louisiana, between the heat and the humidity, bugs are aggressive about finding their way indoors. Here are five ways to keep them out.

1. Duct Tape

Bugs get into your house through the air conditioner because there are gaps they can squeeze through. You can keep them out by sealing all the entry points. Duct tape is a great starting point. Use it to seal off the small openings and cracks that bugs might use to get into your house. For best results, stick to openings less than an inch in width.

2. Caulk

You can’t seal bigger cracks and openings with duct tape alone. The bigger the opening, the more bugs can get through. For those, use caulk. It works on wood, concrete, and most other materials. It’s cheap and you can find it at any hardware store in the area.

3. Pieces of Cardboard

Cardboard is the cheapest bug prevention method. All that is required of you is cutting the cardboard into small pieces and then fitting them to the crevices.

4. Paper Towels

You can use several paper towels layered together to cover larger openings. The number of towels you need depends on the size of the gap. After placing the paper towels, cover them with duct tape to keep water and moisture from breaking them down.

5. Moving the AC

Instead of keeping the bugs away from the AC, you can keep the AC from the bugs. Simply take your window AC to a bug-free area of your property and enjoy a bug-free environment.

These tips will handle most bug problems with a window unit, but if you’re dealing with bugs in your ductwork or central AC system, that’s a job for a professional. We’ve been servicing Acadiana homes since 1956 and have seen it all. If bugs are getting into your HVAC system, call F & R Air Conditioning at (337) 893-5646 and we’ll track down the entry point.