Manufacturers' instructions supplied with residential central air conditioners require, or recommend, the minimum acceptable clearance distances between the air-cooled condenser and nearby obstacles which might interfere with the flow of air into or out of the condenser. For the high-SEER models today, most manufacturers call for a separation of 12 inches between the condenser and any nearby wall, wood fence, shrub, or tree. Where several condensers are installed together on a slab, a face-to-face separation of 24 inches is called for.
When an old, worn-out compressor is replaced with a new model, the typical dealer installs the new condenser on the same slab or pad that held the old unit without giving consideration to: