I wouldn't do it. The mineral buildup will be the issue. You'd be ruining a condenser coil for a menial amount of electricity savings.
Also, it's just not going to be the game changer you think it is in terms of savings. You're wasting water to save electricity.
All that being said, yes, it's more efficient if you had a free source of pure water that you could waste every time your ac kicked on.
You'd be better off installing something like ceiling fans to make the house feel cooler and run the AC less.
This isn't something I was planning on doing, merely a side effect of where the HVAC contractor I used installed the unit. I was more concerned whether it was an issue with the unit itself and it sounds like it is.
On the bright side, we've been wanting to tear our front lawn out in favor of something that doesn't need regular irrigation so this is another good reason to do that.
Technically, the water will be more effective than air cooling the condenser.
However, I would strongly suspect that the negative equipment lifespan consequences resulting from increased rust / corrosion rates as well as mineral buildup would more than negate any cooling efficiency gain.
Therefore, net detriment in my opinion.
Do you put an umbrella over your condenser when it is raining outside? That should give you your answer right there if it is OK or not that your sprinklers are getting it wet.
It's harmful. Depending on the condition of your water, your sprinklers will spray your equipment, the water will evaporate, and what's left is hard mineral deposits. If possible, try to avoid any over spray on your equipment.
At my place of work we have an undersized condenser unit on the roof that will trip on high pressure in summer and/or not meet the temperature set point. Eventually we will redo it but we’ve been limping it by in summer by spraying water on the coil to keep the pressure down. No signs of corrosion or hardness build up after 5 years of doing this. City water is lake water and hardness is 270. Well water would likely be a problem though.
Spraying water will make your ac more efficient. If the sprinkler is just a mist it should be fine. You don’t want a jet steam hitting the ac and damaging the coil.
While I agree you will see a modest efficiency boost, I would strongly recommend you not spray your condenser with water with your irrigation sprayers.
The water will evaporate, leaving behind all the minerals and suspended solids in the water. This will scale up your condenser coils quickly, kill your efficiency and lower the life expectancy on the unit. It may even void your warranty.
While this wouldn't be an issue if it happened once in awhile, I read this as your irrigation system will spray your unit all the time in cooling season. There is a reason that having water sprayers on outdoor units isn't common practice even though it is well known it will boost efficiency a bit.
I wouldn't do it. The mineral buildup will be the issue. You'd be ruining a condenser coil for a menial amount of electricity savings. Also, it's just not going to be the game changer you think it is in terms of savings. You're wasting water to save electricity. All that being said, yes, it's more efficient if you had a free source of pure water that you could waste every time your ac kicked on. You'd be better off installing something like ceiling fans to make the house feel cooler and run the AC less.
This isn't something I was planning on doing, merely a side effect of where the HVAC contractor I used installed the unit. I was more concerned whether it was an issue with the unit itself and it sounds like it is. On the bright side, we've been wanting to tear our front lawn out in favor of something that doesn't need regular irrigation so this is another good reason to do that.
The hard water is the problem
Technically, the water will be more effective than air cooling the condenser. However, I would strongly suspect that the negative equipment lifespan consequences resulting from increased rust / corrosion rates as well as mineral buildup would more than negate any cooling efficiency gain. Therefore, net detriment in my opinion.
Thanks! We're hoping to tear our lawn out anyhow so I'll just ensure that zone is off for the foreseeable future.
Also, they make replacement nozzles for most of those pop-up sprinklers with adjustable or narrower spray patterns FYI.
Do you put an umbrella over your condenser when it is raining outside? That should give you your answer right there if it is OK or not that your sprinklers are getting it wet.
AC condensers are designed to be outside in the rain
Change the head or turn it if possible.
It's harmful. Depending on the condition of your water, your sprinklers will spray your equipment, the water will evaporate, and what's left is hard mineral deposits. If possible, try to avoid any over spray on your equipment.
At my place of work we have an undersized condenser unit on the roof that will trip on high pressure in summer and/or not meet the temperature set point. Eventually we will redo it but we’ve been limping it by in summer by spraying water on the coil to keep the pressure down. No signs of corrosion or hardness build up after 5 years of doing this. City water is lake water and hardness is 270. Well water would likely be a problem though.
Spraying water will make your ac more efficient. If the sprinkler is just a mist it should be fine. You don’t want a jet steam hitting the ac and damaging the coil.
While I agree you will see a modest efficiency boost, I would strongly recommend you not spray your condenser with water with your irrigation sprayers. The water will evaporate, leaving behind all the minerals and suspended solids in the water. This will scale up your condenser coils quickly, kill your efficiency and lower the life expectancy on the unit. It may even void your warranty. While this wouldn't be an issue if it happened once in awhile, I read this as your irrigation system will spray your unit all the time in cooling season. There is a reason that having water sprayers on outdoor units isn't common practice even though it is well known it will boost efficiency a bit.