Pets are beloved family members and can bring a lot of joy to our daily lives, but they can also negatively affect the quality of your indoor air. Pet hair and dander can cause your HVAC system to work harder to keep your home cool.
Counteract some of the stress on your AC system caused by your pets with the following maintenance tips from Super Heat & Air!
Change Your Air Filter Regularly
The air filters in homes with pets such as cats or dogs, tend to get clogged up with dander more frequently than homes without pets. If you are a pet owner, ensure that you clean or change your air filters regularly. A clean air filter will help maintain better airflow throughout your home and will also trap unwanted particles more effectively.
If anyone in your family is an allergy sufferer, consider investing in a quality air filter with a high MERV rating that will be more efficient AND trap more allergens and particles.
MORE> Air Filters 101: Everything You Need to Know to Care for Yours
Brush Your Pets Regularly
To ensure that fur and dander do not get trapped in your HVAC system, brush your pets regularly. When you start brushing your pets regularly, their hair won’t shed as much and will get caught in the brush—instead of in your carpet or air filters!
If you can, brush your pet on a tile floor to make clean-up a breeze.
Vacuum Regularly
The quality of air inside your home and the efficiency of your HVAC unit can be greatly improved by regularly vacuuming and disposing of the dust and dander inside your home. This will help prevent it from getting cycled through your AC system.
Further, when you are cleaning your home, take a few minutes to dust off the vent covers on the floor registers, and wall air returns. Remove the register covers once a month and vacuum as much hair out of the exposed duct as you can.
Build a Fence Around Your Outdoor AC Unit
If your outdoor air conditioner unit is in your backyard, there is a high chance that fur can easily get caught in the air conditioner and affect its efficiency.
If your pets play near the condenser of the outside unit, their fur can be automatically introduced into the air circulating inside your home. To prevent fur from getting trapped in your outside unit, you can build a small fence around the unit.
Consider Duct Cleaning
Over time, dander, dirt, and other allergens from your pets can become trapped in the air ducts of your home. When this happens, dander and dust will continuously cycle throughout your home, making the air quality worse—especially for those who suffer from allergies.
If you notice dirt or debris around your air ducts, contact our indoor air quality experts at Super Heat & Air for a ductwork inspection and deep cleaning. You’d be surprised at how dirty the ductwork in your home can get!
Proper HVAC Maintenance
This tip is essential! Ensure that routine maintenance is performed on your HVAC system at least twice annually. A technician from Super Heat & Air will perform a thorough inspection and maintenance of your unit and will be able to detect minor problems and resolve them before they become a bigger issue.
Maintain Your HVAC System with Super Heat & Air
Don’t skip regular maintenance—especially if you have pets! Pet hair and dander can wreak havoc on an HVAC system if air filters are not changed, and if proper preventative maintenance isn’t performed on your air conditioning system.
Never fear, Super Heat & Air is here! We will help you maintain your HVAC system so it runs smoothly and efficiently year-round. Call us today to schedule maintenance or repair at (813) 279-8213 .
