Help me get rid of my disgusting air conditioner
May 3, 2012 4:37 PM Subscribe
My air conditioner is covered in pigeon droppings, and I need to get rid of it. I have some questions about this.
It's possible I'm overthinking this problem, but I don't know. I have this old air conditioner in a window that already needed replacing just because it's really old, and it's only been in this window since last summer. What I did not know when the air conditioner was installed is this window is a pigeon dumping ground. It is seriously disgusting. It sounds like it's raining sometimes when it's just pigeon junk dropping on it and it splatters onto the window, it's that bad. Obviously the thing is garbage at this point, and if it even still works it's probably a health hazard to turn it on.
I'd wanted to get rid of it during the winter so the stuff would be frozen and easily scraped off with snow, but I live in New York City and we never had a proper snow this year. I'm guessing it's probably not a good idea to wait another few months for next winter because it doesn't seem healthy to have this thing attached to my apartment, so I want to get it out soon.
I'll be hiring someone to take it out because I can't carry an air conditioner. Is this a fairly common problem in terms of handyman-type work? I would warn that person ahead of time of the condition of it, but is there anything else I need to worry about or should do to prepare that makes this different from the average air conditioner disposal? Should I attempt to scrub the poop off the top before having it removed, or would it be better to leave the stuff untouched so as to not dislodge and spread anything around unnecessarily? Gross... gross.
It's possible I'm overthinking this problem, but I don't know. I have this old air conditioner in a window that already needed replacing just because it's really old, and it's only been in this window since last summer. What I did not know when the air conditioner was installed is this window is a pigeon dumping ground. It is seriously disgusting. It sounds like it's raining sometimes when it's just pigeon junk dropping on it and it splatters onto the window, it's that bad. Obviously the thing is garbage at this point, and if it even still works it's probably a health hazard to turn it on.
I'd wanted to get rid of it during the winter so the stuff would be frozen and easily scraped off with snow, but I live in New York City and we never had a proper snow this year. I'm guessing it's probably not a good idea to wait another few months for next winter because it doesn't seem healthy to have this thing attached to my apartment, so I want to get it out soon.
I'll be hiring someone to take it out because I can't carry an air conditioner. Is this a fairly common problem in terms of handyman-type work? I would warn that person ahead of time of the condition of it, but is there anything else I need to worry about or should do to prepare that makes this different from the average air conditioner disposal? Should I attempt to scrub the poop off the top before having it removed, or would it be better to leave the stuff untouched so as to not dislodge and spread anything around unnecessarily? Gross... gross.
Obviously the thing is garbage at this point, and if it even still works it's probably a health hazard to turn it on.
Most A/C units require annual cleaning anyway. This would be more disgusting than most, but you can probably do most of it with a garden hose.
As for being a health hazard, remember that A/C units recirculate interior air. Your home's air is not exposed to the droppings. An A/C is basically a poorly-insulated refrigerator and your air is on the inside and the outside air, and droppings, are on the outside.
If the A/C works, and it isn't too old, there may not be much to really gain by replacing it. At a certain point, A/Cs and refrigerators over a certain age will really be too inefficient compared to a newer model, but I agree -- you're overthinking this. If this is your home, try to figure out why the birds are hanging out up above and find a way to discourage them.
posted by dhartung at 4:47 PM on May 3, 2012 [1 favorite]
Most A/C units require annual cleaning anyway. This would be more disgusting than most, but you can probably do most of it with a garden hose.
As for being a health hazard, remember that A/C units recirculate interior air. Your home's air is not exposed to the droppings. An A/C is basically a poorly-insulated refrigerator and your air is on the inside and the outside air, and droppings, are on the outside.
If the A/C works, and it isn't too old, there may not be much to really gain by replacing it. At a certain point, A/Cs and refrigerators over a certain age will really be too inefficient compared to a newer model, but I agree -- you're overthinking this. If this is your home, try to figure out why the birds are hanging out up above and find a way to discourage them.
posted by dhartung at 4:47 PM on May 3, 2012 [1 favorite]
Response by poster: Additional information: I live in an apartment building with tenants above me, pigeons fly around this whole internal courtyard area, and the AC is a clunky 10 year-old unit. I'll be putting a more efficient new AC in a window facing a direction that isn't pigeon infested.
posted by wondermouse at 4:56 PM on May 3, 2012
posted by wondermouse at 4:56 PM on May 3, 2012
Should I attempt to scrub the poop off the top before having it removed, or would it be better to leave the stuff untouched so as to not dislodge and spread anything around unnecessarily?
Carrying the unit through your apartment will surely dislodge and spread the pigeon poop around your home. While the unit is still hanging out of your window, either scrape the droppings off (a putty knife would work great) or wrap the whole unit in trashbags and tape them down.
Bird poop isn't pleasant, but eh, it's much less gross than dog poop, or human poop.
posted by desuetude at 6:38 PM on May 3, 2012
Carrying the unit through your apartment will surely dislodge and spread the pigeon poop around your home. While the unit is still hanging out of your window, either scrape the droppings off (a putty knife would work great) or wrap the whole unit in trashbags and tape them down.
Bird poop isn't pleasant, but eh, it's much less gross than dog poop, or human poop.
posted by desuetude at 6:38 PM on May 3, 2012
Some gardener nearby may clean it up for you if there is enough to bother with more than a pound or so that stuff is excellent for container growing.
posted by hortense at 11:19 PM on May 3, 2012
posted by hortense at 11:19 PM on May 3, 2012
I had this exact same problem when a pigeon built a nest and hatched a baby on top of my air conditioner in NYC. After relocating the pigeon to my fire escape, I brought the unit in through the window, set it on a sheet, wrapped it up and carried it down to the trash. The lesson I learned from this? Baby pigeons are one of the few animals that are NEVER cute.
posted by MsMolly at 8:27 PM on May 4, 2012
posted by MsMolly at 8:27 PM on May 4, 2012
This thread is closed to new comments.
If it's an old unit and has CFCs in it, call 311 and ask about recycling. Actually, you're probably good to call them anyway to ask when the garbagemen pick up things like used ACs (unless you have a super who will deal with this).
Personally, I think you're over thinking it.
posted by Admiral Haddock at 4:43 PM on May 3, 2012