Air conditioners are great, except that they create unwanted noise that homeowners have to deal with mitigating. To reduce this noise, some people try to use AC compressor blankets.
When it comes to noise reduction, AC compressor blankets only work well for new AC models. They do so by absorbing some of the sounds, making them less audible by 30 to 50 percent. Compressor blankets also prevent the formation of condensate on the compressor when it is humid.
True enough, a compressor blanket for your air conditioner is beneficial. But you need to ensure that you installed it correctly to reduce the unwanted noise that your AC makes.
Also read:
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- 5 Best Quiet Air Compressors in 2021 (Buyer’s Guide Included)
Do AC Compressor Blankets Work (And How)?
As temperature increases, homeowners opt to put their air conditioners at work. While an AC can bring so much comfort, the problem is that its compressor can be too noisy.
Of course, noisy air conditioners can be a huge nuisance, especially when you are trying to get some sleep at night.
Fortunately, a compressor blanket can help you mitigate the noise coming from your AC. It fits perfectly inside the cabinet, so it wraps your air conditioner’s entire compressor, blocking unwanted noises from annoying you. Notably, the compressor is the noisiest part of an AC.
A compressor blanket works by absorbing the noise that the compressor makes. It contains acoustic glass insulation, which is responsible for absorbing sound waves. To further reduce the noise that gets out of the compressor, the blanket also has a heavy rubber barrier containing the noise.
Most compressor blankets provide five decibels of insulation. That equates to reducing the noise level by approximately 65 percent.
However, there are still some factors that affect how a sound blanket works. For this reason, you can expect it to provide at least 30 to 50 percent of noise reduction.
Contrary to what other people think, sound blankets are entirely safe to use in air conditioners. The reason is that the motor within an AC unit features an internal cooling system with refrigerant.
Still, covering the compressor with a blanket can minimally increase its operating temperature. However, you will not notice any effect on the unit’s performance.
How to Install an AC Compressor Blanket
Compressor blankets are effective. However, you need to install them correctly to achieve the sound reduction you need for your air conditioner. But the good thing is that you do not need any professional knowledge to install this sound dampening material.
You may think that the compressor blanket will affect how your AC works. But the truth is that it encourages air circulation. Such is essential to ensure that your unit will not overheat.
To install a sound blanket, you will need:
- Gloves
- Philips head screwdriver and
- Straight slotted screwdriver
- AC compressor blanket
Open the access panel
When you start to do the AC soundproofing process, make sure that the unit is not plugged into the power outlet.
Get your air conditioner to remove the AC’s outer panel. You first need to remove the shipping screws from the corners and sides using a Philips head screwdriver.
After successfully removing the outer panel, get a straight slotted screwdriver and turn the access panel screws a quarter of a turn. Doing this step will release the access panels.
Some air conditioning units have a single access panel, while some have two. Either way, you need to remove all the access panels in the same manner. Doing this step will expose the AC’s compressor.
Prepare the compressor sound blanket.
Please take out the AC compressor blanket from the packaging and unfold it carefully. Hold two corners at a time and lightly tug the blanket several times to expand it. Repeat this step for the remaining two corners until the soundproofing material is entirely open.
Please do the same step for the top section of the blanket and set it aside for later.
Cover the compressor with the sound blanket
Wrap the AC compressor with the sound blanket from left to right. Make sure that you are covering the compressor up to its base. Hold the starting corner firmly in its place while pulling and working the remaining parts around the compressor.
Secure the sound blanket in place
Line up the sound blanket’s slot with the compressor’s suction line. A Velcro strip comes with the material when you purchase it.
Use it to hold the compressor blanket in place. It is worth noting that you need to secure the blanket two inches to the right of the compressor’s suction line.
Additionally, you need to ensure that you attach the Velcro strip solidly from top to bottom. It should also not have any lifts or gaps. The attachment should be firm without any broken seam.
Cover the terminal box
The terminal box is a part of the compressor that secures two or more wires together. It also connects electrical switches and outlets to the mains.
Moreover, it would be best if you also covered the terminal box apart from the compressor. It is worth noting that covering it will not affect the compressor’s function at all.
Secure the two seams together
Pull the two seems of the compressor blanket together while routing it around the compressor body. You need to ensure that the Velcro strips will align on top of each other. It should make a single Velcro seal seam.
Align the sound blanket’s top with the discharge line
Line up the top of the sound blanket with the discharge line. Grab the top blanket flap you prepared earlier and attach it to the top Velcro edge blanket.
Repeat this process for all the additional compressors on your air conditioning unit. Finally, put the exterior panels into place using the specific screwdrivers that you used to remove them.
It is important to note that the sound blanket will only work if you covered the compressor completely. There should not be any gaps or seams in the full coverage.
Sources
- Sound Blankets, Fences, And Other Ways To Reduce Air Conditioner Noise, The Day, https://www.theday.com/article/20200626/BIZ04/200629636/
- Terminal Blocks Information, Global Spec Engineering 360, https://www.globalspec.com/learnmore/electrical_electronic_components/connectors/terminal_blocks/
- Chuck Brown, How to Install a Compressor Sound Blanket, E-How.Com, https://www.ehow.com/how_7835610_install-compressor-sound-blanket.html/