Plumbing- And HVAC-Friendly Landscaping

Everyone wants a beautiful yard, but you will save yourself time and avoid repair bills if you plant trees and shrubs that are friendly to your plumbing and your air conditioning unit. Certain plants can interfere with water and sewer lines and others can tangle with your condenser. Plan your landscaping to avoid these hazards. 

Where to Plant

You can always dial the "Call Before You Dig" national number to find out where you can safely dig in your yard. That way you can avoid all the buried utilities when you are planting. When it comes to your air conditioning, you need to leave two to three feet of cleared space around the unit and five feet of clearance above it. Make sure that you leave a path to the air conditioner so that it can be reached for maintenance. 

What to Plant

Since trees and shrubs seek water, they will always gravitate toward sewer and water lines. You may not notice the problem until your drains clog and plunging or drain cleaner will not open them. Always plant away from buried utilities, and when you do plant, avoid willows and locusts. They produce a large number of fine roots than can find tiny open spaces in your lines. The roots can also travel long distances, and they go deep into the ground. Choose trees that produce small root balls like crabapple, flowering dogwoods, or Japanese maples. Also plant your trees at least twenty feet away from any utility line or pipe. 

The right landscaping around your air conditioner can provide shade that makes it more efficient. It also provides a more attractive look to that side of the house by disguising the less-than-beautiful unit. You can plant vines using a trellis as long as you keep them two or three feet in front of the unit to prevent leaf and flower clogs. You may also choose shrubs such as forsythia, redberry, and Jerusalem sage. 

Making smart landscaping choices can save you some serious plumbing and HVAC bills while making your yard look great. You can hide your air conditioning unit as long as you maintain several feet of open space around it and a path so professionals to reach your unit. Picking the right trees and shrubs can also prevent root penetration into your sewer and water lines. Only plant those items with small root balls that are not particularly invasive so you can have a lovely yard and clear sewer pipes. Contact a company like Hvactech Systems plumbing for more information.

Share