AC Repairs That Could Be Needed When Mice Infest Your Air Conditioner And Gnaw On Wires

8 August 2022
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If you have a mouse problem in your house or on your property, the pests might cause damage to your air conditioner. They can get inside the condenser and crawl through the same holes the wiring passes through. This allows them to find shelter, build nests, and get comfortable inside your AC.

Once there, the mice can cause damage by chewing on wiring or urinating on parts. Here are signs of wiring problems in your air conditioner due to gnawing issues and what an AC repair technician might do to help.

Signs Of Wiring Problems In Your AC

Since the condenser is made of metal, a wire that has the insulation gnawed off could allow the metal in the wiring to touch the condenser and short out. Wiring problems can cause the fuse in the disconnect box to go bad or the circuit breaker to flip.

If a mouse chews through a wire partially, the flow of power might be intermittent and cause power fluctuations that cause your AC to operate erratically. If the wire is completely severed, your air conditioner might not operate at all. If you look inside the condenser cage, you might even see wiring that's been disconnected or gnawed on.

AC Repairs That Might Be Needed

The repair technician has to troubleshoot your AC and trace the wiring to see where the problems are located. Mice can get inside the air handler indoors too, so the technician will probably check it as well.

Wiring that's been gnawed on has to be repaired by cutting out the gnawed area, cutting off some of the insulation, and joining the ends back together so the metal wiring is covered with a connector. The AC repair technician may need to repair the wiring in several places if the mouse infestation was bad.

Once all of the wiring is repaired, the technician might test the contactor and capacitor to make sure they haven't been damaged by the mice. The wiring, contactor, and capacitor all need to be in good shape to pass power to the compressor or your AC won't be able to operate.

Mouse Nest Removal Might Be Needed Too

The AC repair technician might also need to remove residual nesting material and clean the coil or other parts of the AC that are covered in urine or mouse droppings. This type of work has to be done carefully while wearing gloves. The technician might also plug the holes the wiring passes through to keep mice out in the future.

Since mice might try to get in your air conditioner again if they're attracted to the scent of other mice, your AC repair technician might advise you to get help from a pest control company to eliminate your mouse problem so your AC isn't in danger of more damage.