Birds, in general, seek out a dry, sheltered environment. This is an ideal habitat for laying eggs. And the window air conditioners are just what they’re looking for. Birds that build their nests under air conditioners provide shelter and safety from other animals. Bird nest under air conditioner does not totally damage the unit.
However, the nests of birds can cause your air conditioner to malfunction. They may, on either hand, be afraid of germs or diseases carried by birds. In addition, the persistent noise from the air conditioner can disrupt your sleep.
So you’re looking for a way to keep birds away from your air conditioner? Also, do you know how to get rid of them without harming the birds that live in the air conditioner? How a Bird Nest Under Air Conditioner Affects the Unit?
How do I get rid of the nests in the window air conditioner?
If you notice a nest in the air conditioner window, carefully remove it. However, when there is a baby bird present, it is best not to do it alone. You’re not going to want to hurt that tiny bird.
So contact your local wildlife department or an animal shelter in your neighborhood. The company will send or recommend someone to remove the nuisance birds from your property. It’s also against the law to injure some bird species. The birds and nests can be removed without causing harm to the birds.
Why is it vital to get rid of the nest?
You might be a bird enthusiast, and you’re thinking to yourself, “What if I don’t remove them?” What harm do birds near air conditioners cause me?
The tiny birds are undoubtedly adorable, and you may not want to damage their nests.
However, if you think about it, the pathogens they carry can cause significant health problems. Furthermore, the microorganisms they have can easily cause skin illness.
They bring bugs to the nest on occasion. If some bugs get inside the air conditioner, it might cause severe damage to your expensive unit. Furthermore, nesting materials, including feathers and excretions, might enter your gadget, resulting in poor air circulation. It can also cause insulation damage.
Not only that, but failing to remove the nests exposes you to fire risk. A tiny spark in the window of an air conditioner might produce a fire hazard and significant problems.
This is why you ought to be extra cautious and eliminate bird nests on your air conditioner vent. Nobody needs to ruin beautiful nests and harm helpless birds.
So take them out of your air conditioning system with caution and caution. If you can’t accomplish it on your own, enlist the support of a friend or family member.
Continue to adore birds. But don’t overlook the matter of safety. It’s critical to keep birds from nesting in your window air conditioner.
Ways to Keep Birds Away from Your Air Conditioner
Your air conditioner is not cooling as well as it used to. In an air-conditioned environment, the ventilation is poor, and you feel ill. You could believe it’s just a maintenance issue that can be resolved by cleaning the air filters. You occasionally hear chirping sounds near your apartment, but you ignore them.
Make preparations to inspect your air conditioner over the weekend
When you finally investigate it, you discover something you did not expect. There’s a nest of birds in your air conditioner!
It’s very usual for a bird to build a nest in the outside unit of your air conditioner. Birds lay their eggs in warm, sheltered locations. Air conditioners give shade, warmth, and predator protection, making them an ideal place for birds to roost.
This layout, however, is not acceptable for you. It can cause your air conditioner to have various problems that you don’t want to deal with, especially when the temperature is already high. It put up this guide to help you deal with the issues that come when birds nest in AC.
How birds can affect the performance of your air conditioner and the quality of your indoor air.
How do you get rid of a bird’s nest in your air conditioner?
Ways to keep birds out of your air conditioner
What Effects Do Birds Have on Your Air Conditioner and Indoor Air Quality?
Feathers, grass, twigs, and straws are used to construct bird nests, which may create quite a mess. Birds also transmit germs that can contaminate indoor air quality. Bird nests can even hinder your air conditioner from working correctly. Outside your room, chirping birds can also disrupt your sleep.
1. Bird Nests in Air Conditioners Can Affect Indoor Air Quality Negatively
Feathers and droppings from birds can clog up your air conditioner. They are a breeding ground for harmful germs, mites, ticks, and other pests. Birds bring bugs to their nest, which can enter your unit. Bugs can also carry germs that are spread through the air.
Air conditioner allergies can develop when your air conditioner circulates allergens in the air. Air pollutants can degrade the air quality in your house and cause dangerous infections, including Salmonellosis and E.coli.
2. Birds may wreak havoc with insulation
Birds can peck the insulation protecting the refrigerant pipes if they live in your window air conditioner. Insulation with holes caused by pecking can result in a reduction in cooling.
Bird nests in the attic can potentially cause damage to the ducting. If you use fiberglass to insulate your attic, the fibers can get into the ductwork and cause harm.
3. Bird nests can clog evaporator coils and air filters in air conditioners
Feathers and droppings from birds, as well as dust and debris, can clog evaporator coils. The cooling process includes the use of evaporator coils. They can’t release heat when blocked, resulting in reduced airflow.
You can use this approach to clean your AC coils thoroughly.
Birds can clog your air filters as well. Dirty air filters can cause various problems, including lower efficiency and the inability to turn on the air conditioner. Furthermore, filthy filters give poor air quality to your home.
4. The Risk of a Fire Hazard in a Bird Nest
Birds’ materials to build their nests, such as twigs and straws, are highly flammable. The nest can catch fire and destroy your air conditioning machine if there is a short circuit. It can also cause harm to birds. Furthermore, the fire can quickly spread to other parts of your house.
5. Birds can obstruct the operation of an air conditioner.
Twigs and feathers can become lodged in the fan blades, preventing them from rotating properly. Furthermore, the outdoor unit will begin to make clicking noises because of the obstacles.
You can clean the fan entirely by removing the outside unit cover.
6. A bird’s nest in an air conditioner can lead to compressor failure.
Debris accumulated on your outside unit can wreak havoc on your compressor, resulting in AC compressor failure. This necessitates costly repairs or replacement.
This problem can be avoided with regular maintenance and professional inspection.
How to Get Rid of a Bird Cage in an Air Conditioner
When a bird has just begun to build a nest, it is the best time to remove it. It’s simple to remove a few twigs and grass, and you’ll eliminate any risk of birds’ nests wreaking havoc on your unit.
However, it’s doubtful that you’ll detect a nest until it’s entirely constructed.
Do not attempt to remove a nest if you notice eggs or birds within. Furthermore, you may not be able to remove the nest with the egg inside securely. In this instance, you have the option of hiring a bird removal service or waiting until the nesting season has passed. Avoid employing force against birds since most species are protected under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act (MBTA).
You can dismantle the nest on your own if it has been abandoned after a nesting session. However, wait a few days to ensure the birds haven’t returned.
To get rid of the nest, follow these steps:
- To avoid coming into contact with bacteria and other parasites put on gloves.
- Lift the nest and clear the space, ensuring there is no remaining nesting material.
- Place the nest in the trash and sanitize the area with a powerful disinfectant.
- You’re now ready to take steps to keep the birds from roosting in your air conditioner.
Additional Ways to Keep Birds Out of Your Air Conditioner
With maintenance, you can keep the nesting materials from blocking different AC components, but you should hunt for a long-term solution. The most accessible place is to prevent the birds from building a nest.
Here are some things you can do to prevent birds from nesting in your air conditioner:
1. Keep the birds at bay by imitating predators.
Use plastic toys such as a snake or an owl to imitate predators. This can fool the birds into thinking predators are around, preventing them from building a nest in your unit.
If feasible, place the toys on the unit or near it to keep the birds away.
Reflective owl decoys are specifically designed to scare away birds. To confuse the birds, these decoys also generate sounds.
2. Use a Bird Repellent or Strong Cleaning Products
To keep birds from nesting in your air conditioner, combine vinegar and water, or use bleach. Wipe clean your air conditioner with a piece of cloth; this procedure may be sufficient.
Bird repellant from the store can also uphold the birds away.
3. Maintain the birds out of your unit.
Establishing a grate or wire mesh around the device will prevent birds from getting into it. Another option is to enclose your outside unit in a cell.
4. Put Bird Spikes in Place
Bird spikes can be installed above your air conditioner or wherever birds congregate. Birds would not be attracted to your spike-covered air conditioner.
Spiral toys for kids can be used in the exact way. You’ll need to nail it to the ledge with a two-finger space between the nails.
This technique can also be applied to locations like chimneys and grills.
What to Do If a Bird Builds a Nest in Your Air Conditioner
Birds build their nests in places that provide protection and shelter. However, those areas can occasionally be a significant inconvenience for the people who live there. Unfortunately, the hollow space of an air conditioner unit can be appealing to birds trying to nest and lay eggs, and the problem is tough to ignore for both homeowners and renters.
When air conditioning systems aren’t in use during the year’s seasons, birds often make their homes in them. However, when the air conditioner is turned on for the first time, it puts the birds as well as your essential appliance in danger. Take efforts to get rid of the birds in your air conditioner and keep them from returning in the future to avoid this disaster.
Bird Nest Under Air Conditioner
If birds have taken up residence in your air conditioner, the first step should be to turn off the power to the device. When birds get trapped in the appliance’s blades, it might damage the mechanical components, resulting in expensive repairs—or perhaps forcing you to buy a new machine.
Once the power is turned off, you may be able to clean out the birds by simply lifting the grating that covers the fan blades. It’s possible that scaring the birds away will be enough to get them to depart. You can also remove the nest by hand, but if there are eggs in the nest, relocating it may force the parents to abandon the eggs—and/or raise the chance of the eggs being eaten by a predator.
If you have baby birds in the nest or are unsure how to manage a nest with eggs, call your local animal rescue organization for advice on how to transfer the nest properly—or to hire a professional to help.
You should also give the machine a thorough cleaning before turning it back on to remove any debris or accumulation from the birds. Bird poop in your air conditioner can build components, increasing the danger of overheating or inappropriate operation, while feathers can clog fans and other mechanical elements. Restore electricity to the A/C unit only after removing debris from the team.
How to Get Rid of an A/C Nest in a Window
If a bird has constructed a nest on your window air conditioner, the ideal time to remove it is as soon as you detect it. The more along the bird is in building its nest, the more obstinate it may be in re-constructing it after you’ve taken it from your air conditioner. You might even have issues with birds returning each summer to establish their nest in the exact location.
If the nest is already entirely constructed and isn’t causing any damage to the A/C unit, you may want to leave it in place until it’s time to remove your A/C team when the weather begins to cool. You can encourage the bird to establish a new nest somewhere by cleaning off the nest and then removing the A/C unit where the nest was sitting.
How to Remove a Bird from an Air Conditioner
If a bird gets stuck in your air conditioner and you’re not sure how to get it out, it’s time to call an HVAC professional for help. An air conditioner technician can securely dismantle the device without harming its operation to rescue the bird.
While it may be tempting to do it yourself, disassembling your air conditioner and tampering with its mechanical components might lead to problems and repairs if the parts aren’t correctly disassembled. This technique can be challenging to handle on your own, depending on the bird’s position.
If you feel the bird in the air conditioner is injured, call a local animal rescue organization for guidance on liberating the bird and whether it should be delivered to a local organization for rehabilitation.
Birds and Air Conditioners: How to Keep Them Away
It’s always easier to keep birds from nesting or getting into your air conditioner than it is to get them out. Here are some suggestions to keep birds away from this appliance:
Spikes for birds should be installed. Bird spikes are a simple but efficient way to keep birds away from your air conditioner. Bird spikes are handy if you’re looking for ways to keep birds away from window air conditioners, but they can also be used on free-standing air conditioners.
When the unit is not in use, it should be covered. A tarp or bespoke air conditioner cover will keep birds away from the team and prevent them from attempting to make it their home. Remove it when you’ve finished using your window air conditioner for the season.
Birdbaths and feeders should be removed from the area. These elements can attract birds looking for a place to nest and beautify your living space by attracting birds into your line of sight.
Fill up any holes or gaps in your air conditioner. Birds should not be able to enter your enclosure. If they do, locate their entrance site and have an HVAC professional properly seal it.
Birds can be a nuisance if they’ve decided your air conditioner is a suitable living area, but with a bit of creative thought and preventative work, you can keep both birds and your air conditioner safe. If you’re having trouble dealing with your bird problem on your own, hire a heating and cooling professional.
