Known to an air conditioning company or an air conditioning contractor often times as an "outdoor unit," the condensing unit is the air conditioning unit used to cool the entire house. The condensing unit works with the air handler, or "indoor unit", to absorb the vaporized refrigerant that is given from the air conditioning refrigerant located inside the air handler.  The condensing unit then liquefies the vapor and returns it to blow heat or air conditioning in all the rooms throughout your house. It contains vital air conditioning parts, as well as, an outdoor fan to help with circulating air in your air conditioning system so that one room doesn’t receive all of the air conditioning at any one time.

Some people that live in colder environments have concerns about covering the condensing unit in the wintertime. However, there is really no need for concern because the outdoor unit was made to withstand all temperatures and conditions. Rain actually helps clean the condensing unit as well. If your area is prone to hail storms, a hard cover placed over the top of the unit can help against damage.

Make sure to rake the leaves in the fall season and pull any weeds surrounding the condensing unit so that they do not get inside the fan. Planting farther away from the unit can help with the operation and overall performance of the condensing unit as well. If you can see any water collecting outside of the unit, it may mean the level is off so just adjust the level the unit is on so that the water can be drained away from the system so there will be no damage.

Often times, if problems are severe, replacing a condensing unit is more cost effective than repairing the air condition parts . Any cooling inspection should cover those areas with the advice of an expert air conditioning company or air conditioning contractor after reviewing their credentials.