I have also been thinking about building a little "house" for the outdoor unit with vented walls set out about a foot or so from the unit and a riser vent in the top to route the discharge air farther from the intake. Replaceable black and white vent panels could be made to promote or discourage solar heating of the intake air, depending on the season. I think the walls would help keep snow and ice from the intake to help deter icing, and a cap on top of the riser tube would keep rain and snow out of the fan compartment. Also, I have noticed that when it rains in the warmer months, the dirt around my current AC unit tends to splash up and accumulate on the grille and HX. Extending the foundation and having a space between the intake vents and the unit's grille would alleviate that problem as well.
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