Condenser coils are located on the outside of your house. In this location they are exposed to all of mother nature's fury. While you cannot stop the weather, there are steps that you can take in order to boost the function of your coils. 

Weed Mat

Condenser coils are not fun to look at, so you might be tempted to plant bushes or flowers right up next to your coils to act as a screen. The problem with this tact is that condenser coils depend on airflow in order to function properly. If you have plants growing right up next to or through your coils, they can block airflow. Thus, you should keep plants at least a couple of feet back from your coils. Putting down some weed mat around your coils will save you time in that it will prevent growth around your coils. Cover the weed mat with mulch or gravel to make it look more decorative rather than functional. 

Clean Your Coils

No matter what you do to keep plants away from your coils, you still have to worry about your coils getting dirty, and dirty coils can reduce your system efficiency by up to 37%. When you notice grime starting to build up on your coils, you need to clean them. Remove the protective cage that surrounds your coils, spray it with a commercially available coil cleaner, wait a couple of minutes to let the solvents in the cleaner break down the grime, then scrub your coils clean with a stiff-bristle brush. Once your coils look clean, all you have to do is replace the protective grid, and your coils are ready to go. 

Plant Some Shade

Condenser coils are responsible for cooling down the refrigerant running through your system so that it is ready to cycle back to your evaporator coils and cool the air in your house. When these coils heat up, they can take longer to do their job. Planting a tree in a position that it will shade your coils will help to keep them cool. Choose a fast-growing tree so that you don't have to wait a decade before your tree starts to help. 

You might think that your condenser coils are a stand-alone unit that require no effort on your part to keep them running like they should. A wise homeowner will understand that the more you do to boost the function of your coils, the more you stand to benefit.  For more information, contact a company that specializes in air conditioning repair.