Leveling Air Conditioning Pads

Air conditioner units are heavy and to operate properly they need to sit level so making sure the air conditioning pad is level is important. Air conditioning pads are notorious for shifting and becoming uneven after time usually because the pads were not installed correctly in the first place. You would think installers would be more careful installing the pad initially since the fan inside the air conditioner unit will only operate correctly if level.

To truly level an air conditioning pad you must remove the air conditioning unit itself from the pad. This is a job best left to a professional because there is gas and electricity involved. Do not try to level an air conditioning pad by sticking a brick under one corner which in some neighborhoods is an accepted option. Go ahead and remove the unit and do the job right.

Once the unit is removed you are ready to level the pad. The pad is uneven because the base is failing for some reason and you need to find the problem. Usually the problem is caused because the pad was not installed correctly or the base has washed away, usually caused by a down spout being too close and dumping a lot of water into the area.

What ever the reason for the base being bad you have to fix it so remove the pad and see what is there. Dig the base out, you should be removing gravel and sand if the base was installed correctly in the first place. Square up the hole before putting anything back in (you can use the old fill if you mix it together before you put it back in the hole).

Once the hole is squared up, depending on the type of pad, concrete or plastic, use the old fill as base, tamping it level and if plastic put in new gravel and then set the pad and gently work the pad back and forth down into the grave until the hollow space underneath the pad is filled, this may take some effort, and then check to see if the pad is level in both directions and on the diagonal. If level, have a professional reinstall the air conditioning unit.

If your air conditioner pad is concrete you do not need to break it up to level it out, get some help and roll the pad to one side so that you can clean out the pad hole. Clean and square up the hole, digging out the sand and gravel. Once the hole is clean mix the old fill and put back in the hole and tamp and level. Next put in a layer of sand and tamp, with some help put concrete pad back into place, slide back and forth until there is no movement and check level both directions and diagonal, it will be close to level so you should not have to do too much moving. Once level have a professional reinstall the air conditioning units. It is important to have a professional to do the installation to extend the life and possibly the warranty on the unit.