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What Do You Do If There Are Mice In Your Air Conditioning Unit?

Although a relatively rare issue, there have been cases in the UK in which homeowners or businesses have found rodents like mice or rats in their air conditioning units. Thankfully, it’s not nearly so much of a problem on this side of the Atlantic as it frequently is in the States, but on the few occasions it happens here in the UK, it’s most often in winter – so it’s worth knowing a bit about the best ways to react!

Why Does It Happen?

air conditioning unit

When Jack Frost comes knocking in the later months, most animals react the same way we all do – they find somewhere warm to bed up for the winter. Unfortunately, for some of the smaller animals like mice or rats, the insulation vents can make perfect boltholes; they’re warm and dry, and suitable for nesting. As they’re making themselves at home, they often end up chewing and biting through vital wires.

This means that they can not only damage or even completely break your air conditioning unit itself, but they run a very high risk of electrocuting themselves as they do so. And as anyone unlucky enough to experience it knows, the only thing worse than a live rodent in your air conditioning unit is a dead one! While live rodents can spread germs (which are then blown into your house through the vents), dead mice and rats quickly begin to smell, which is equally noticeable and much nastier. That’s even before we’ve touched upon the hassle and expense of getting your air conditioning unit fixed!

How Can You Stop It Happening?

Blackburn Air Conditioning Maintenance

You’ve got a couple of options if you want to take sensible precautions against it. You can block access panels, pipe entries and cable entries with metal plates and mesh, or specifically-designed vent covers. If you plan on doing this, take extra care to make sure that they’re secured, as rodents and small animals can be resourceful (or even simply tenacious) enough to find ways of pulling them off. The age-old rules apply, too – keep your floors and surfaces clean of any food or treats that might attract uninvited guests. If you do think that you might have something living in your air conditioning system, your very first course of action should always be to turn it off before calling a professional heating and cooling engineer.

Speaking of which; obviously prevention is always better than cure! The best way to prevent any rodents from making nests in your air conditioning unit is to take out a planned service and maintenance contract. Our qualified engineers can carry out a detailed check of your system, and will be able to identify any current or developing problems with the system that you wouldn’t be able to see from the outside (such as checking the condensers). Then, they’ll take decisive pre-emptive action to minimise any impact on you. You’ll quickly find that this way of working is far more convenient and much cheaper than responsive repairs.

At Askews, you are always our top priority. You can click here for a free quote, or give us a quick call on 01282 863 825.

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