Outside heater question (floor, roof, drains, install)

[Spazkat9696]

Quick question for all. Where I live we rarely if ever get snow, but this year we've gotten tons of snow and ice. The snow actually melted and refroze inside of our outside AC/heater and broke it. We have since gotten it fixed, and currently we have plywood stretched across two ladders to protect it. The thing is it sits in an area of our yard where the roof drains very close to it. This is not usually an issue, but this year it's a major one. There has to be a better way to keep the snow/ice off of it. Any ideas?

[Pitt Chick]

People in my area store them indoors for the winter....

[Spazkat9696]

Originally Posted by Pitt Chick

People in my area store them indoors for the winter....

It's pretty big, and attached to a cement slab on the ground. Plus it heats my house. I don't think that's an option. How would that work?

[chet everett]

I don't understand how you could protect a heat pump from the weather -- it needs to rely on extracting heat from the air.

If the water came from blocked gutters or an improperly graded yard then those things would have to be addressed, but you can't cover the heat pump...

[Spazkat9696]

Originally Posted by chet everett

I don't understand how you could protect a heat pump from the weather -- it needs to rely on extracting heat from the air.

If the water came from blocked gutters or an improperly graded yard then those things would have to be addressed, but you can't cover the heat pump...

Yes it's a heat pump with an emergency backup heater in the attic. We had to use the emergency heat until we got the outside unit repaired.

There are no gutters in that area. It was snow sliding off the second floor roof, and melting into the unit. It has just been so cold, and s snowy this year we've been having major issues. It was only in the 20s all week the week it froze and broke. Right now the plywood is about 3 feet above the unit and sloped. I was just wondering if anyone has an idea for a more permanent type structure that could be placed.

[Pruzhany]

Call an HVAC company and have it moved. The slab its probably sitting on is usually movable too.

[Pitt Chick]

Oh, good gravy... when I read "Outside heater question", I thought the OP was talking about a outdoor propane patio heater!

A heat pump never even entered my mind.... PLEASE ignore my answer!

[Gaffer]

I'm thinking you could build a small roof from under your current eaves. Install a couple of 4 X4s or 6 X6s say 4' out from the house and 4 or 5 feet apart. Frame them to hold the outer edge of the roof.