Creating dead zone around AC unit

Posted by Billy on July 4, 2009, 2:22 am

> Hmm. A French drain. Does that mean it only works 30 hours a
> week, drinks up all your red wine, and has a mistress on the
> side?
>
> --
> Christopher A. Young
> Learn more about Jesus
> www.lds.org

So the jerks are coming to watch now. Still ostentatiously wearing your
religion on your sleeve, like Elmer Gantry, while mocking a people you
don't even know? Your a class . . ., make that a half class act Mormon.
--

- Billy

There are three kinds of men: The ones that learn by reading. The few who
learn by observation. The rest of them have to pee on the electric fence and
find out for themselves.
Will Rogers

http://countercurrents.org/roberts020709.htm
http://www.tomdispatch.com/p/zinn

Posted by brooklyn1 on July 3, 2009, 6:17 pm

> My central air conditioning unit is located in a spot where the eaves are
> so
> deep that even after lots of rain, it's still bone dry, but bindweed finds
> the area delightful and it's eating my air conditioner. I thought of
> covering the whole area with plastic and then a few inches of stones right
> up to the foundation, but I have another concern. In winter, it's not
> uncommon for several feet of snow to drift into that corner. When it
> melts,
> I'm not sure I want that much water ponding in the plastic and overflowing
> along the edges near the cinder block. The basement's always been dry, but
> still, something about the plastic idea seems iffy. So, some sort of
> landscape fabric seems like a better option.
> Regardless of the material on top, I'm thinking of edging it with Trex
> buried with just enough above ground to contain 2-3 inches of stones.
> Comments?

A course or three of paver blocks is a zillion times better than spending
your life cussing small stones.

Posted by Art Todesco on July 3, 2009, 6:26 pm

brooklyn1 wrote:

>> My central air conditioning unit is located in a spot where the eaves are
>> so
>> deep that even after lots of rain, it's still bone dry, but bindweed finds
>> the area delightful and it's eating my air conditioner. I thought of
>> covering the whole area with plastic and then a few inches of stones right
>> up to the foundation, but I have another concern. In winter, it's not
>> uncommon for several feet of snow to drift into that corner. When it
>> melts,
>> I'm not sure I want that much water ponding in the plastic and overflowing
>> along the edges near the cinder block. The basement's always been dry, but
>> still, something about the plastic idea seems iffy. So, some sort of
>> landscape fabric seems like a better option.
>> Regardless of the material on top, I'm thinking of edging it with Trex
>> buried with just enough above ground to contain 2-3 inches of stones.
>> Comments?

Landscaping fabric allows water to go
through and inhibits weed growth. It
can be put under a layer of gravel
instead of plastic.

Posted by aemeijers on July 3, 2009, 7:30 pm

Art Todesco wrote:

> brooklyn1 wrote:

>>> My central air conditioning unit is located in a spot where the eaves
>>> are so
>>> deep that even after lots of rain, it's still bone dry, but bindweed
>>> finds
>>> the area delightful and it's eating my air conditioner. I thought of
>>> covering the whole area with plastic and then a few inches of stones
>>> right
>>> up to the foundation, but I have another concern. In winter, it's not
>>> uncommon for several feet of snow to drift into that corner. When it
>>> melts,
>>> I'm not sure I want that much water ponding in the plastic and
>>> overflowing
>>> along the edges near the cinder block. The basement's always been
>>> dry, but
>>> still, something about the plastic idea seems iffy. So, some sort of
>>> landscape fabric seems like a better option.
>>> Regardless of the material on top, I'm thinking of edging it with
>>> Trex buried with just enough above ground to contain 2-3 inches of
>>> stones.
>>> Comments?

>
> Landscaping fabric allows water to go through and inhibits weed growth. It
> can be put under a layer of gravel instead of plastic.

Why not a precast concrete or recycled pop bottle AC pad, tilted
slightly away from the house to prevent ponding? They come in several
sizes, and can pretty easily be slipped under the AC unit without
disconnecting it. May need a few shims under the coil box to keep it
level, but that is easy enough. If there is slack in the cables and
hoses, also a good idea to raise the box up a few inches.

--
aem sends...

Posted by brooklyn1 on July 3, 2009, 8:50 pm

> Art Todesco wrote:

>> brooklyn1 wrote:

>>>> My central air conditioning unit is located in a spot where the eaves
>>>> are so
>>>> deep that even after lots of rain, it's still bone dry, but bindweed
>>>> finds
>>>> the area delightful and it's eating my air conditioner. I thought of
>>>> covering the whole area with plastic and then a few inches of stones
>>>> right
>>>> up to the foundation, but I have another concern. In winter, it's not
>>>> uncommon for several feet of snow to drift into that corner. When it
>>>> melts,
>>>> I'm not sure I want that much water ponding in the plastic and
>>>> overflowing
>>>> along the edges near the cinder block. The basement's always been dry,
>>>> but
>>>> still, something about the plastic idea seems iffy. So, some sort of
>>>> landscape fabric seems like a better option.
>>>> Regardless of the material on top, I'm thinking of edging it with Trex
>>>> buried with just enough above ground to contain 2-3 inches of stones.
>>>> Comments?

>> Landscaping fabric allows water to go through and inhibits weed growth.
>> It
>> can be put under a layer of gravel instead of plastic.

> Why not a precast concrete or recycled pop bottle AC pad, tilted slightly
> away from the house to prevent ponding? They come in several sizes, and
> can pretty easily be slipped under the AC unit without disconnecting it.
> May need a few shims under the coil box to keep it level, but that is easy
> enough. If there is slack in the cables and hoses, also a good idea to
> raise the box up a few inches.

That's what I have, one of those cast fiberglass like pads, I always thought
that was the manditory default, had one at my last house too. I'm sure it
would require a few strong backs to insert a pad after the fact:
http://i39.tinypic.com/m75dhc.jpg

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Creating dead zone around AC unit - Page 3