Are you a homeowner with a household that includes one or more pets? Pets are beloved members of our families; in fact, 97% of pet owners consider their pets to be family members. Pet owners know it takes significant dedication to care for their feathery, furry, fuzzy, or scaly animals, but the effort is well worth it. Beyond daily feeding, watering, and care, pet owners should also know that having a pet can carry unforeseen responsibilities, like maintaining your indoor air quality and heating, cooling, and ventilation system.
Taking care of your heating and cooling system can improve you and your pet's quality of life. Here, our Bloomington HVAC experts discuss the top things you should know about your HVAC unit and pets. Contact us today to schedule AC repair in Bloomington, MN, for your household!
Keep Up With Regular HVAC Maintenance
All homeowners should have a minimum of twice-yearly HVAC maintenance services performed on their system to keep their units working efficiently and free from problems, such as unexpected breakdowns. But maintenance is even more critical for households with pets. Pets can cause unseen damage to HVAC systems that can be easily identified and remediated by a trained HVAC technician, such as those with Bloomington Heating & Air. Regular residential HVAC maintenance gives homeowners the chance to have their heating and cooling systems inspected by a trained professional who can identify any potential issues and advise them about solutions that work best for them and their pets.
Pets Can Cause Unseen Damage
If you have indoor-only pets, skip to the next section. If you have pets that are indoor and outdoor, it's important to consider how your pets may negatively affect your exterior HVAC unit. If your dog runs around your yard and your exterior HVAC unit, take measures to protect your unit (and your pet) by installing a small barrier or fence. If you leave pets unattended, there's a chance they could urinate, chew, scratch, or otherwise damage the exterior unit, which can cause damage to it and degrade the efficiency of your HVAC system.
Change The Air Filters Often
The quality of your indoor air is an important factor when it comes to you and your pet's health, wellness, and comfort at home. What drives your indoor air quality or IAQ? Numerous factors contribute to your IAQ rating, including your HVAC system and how and how well it functions. Your HVAC system's air filter helps keep your indoor air quality high and your indoor air clean and healthy. Air filters filter out contaminants from cooled or heated indoor air, which improves air quality ratings and HVAC system efficiency. How often you should change your air filters depends on the number of pets you have, the size of your home, and several other factors. In general, homes without pets should replace their HVAC filters every 3 months for optimal airflow, while pet owners should change their filters more often.
Clean The Air Ducts
Just like your air filters, the air ducts in your home accumulate debris and dust and become increasingly soiled over time. But this happens at a much faster rate for people with pets in their homes. In addition to dust and other human-made particles, pets with fuzzy or furry coats shed pet dander, which can accumulate in the air ducts over time, resulting in restricted air flow and reduced air quality. Keeping your air ducts clean and free from pet hair and dander is an excellent way to protect your HVAC system and maintain high-quality air indoors. Unsure whether your air ducts are due for cleaning? Inspect the area behind one of the air ducts in your home and look for dust or debris. If you spot these items, you likely need to have them cleaned.
Eliminate Excess Pet Hair & Dander
When you have pets in your home, one of the best things you can do for your HVAC system is to eliminate excess pet hair and dander. Keeping your household free of globs of fuzz, hair, and dander from pets allows your HVAC system to function properly without having to work overtime to filter out as much debris. For homeowners with pets with long hair or pets that shed a significant amount, consider brushing your pet with a veterinarian-approved brush to reduce the amount of shedding around your home. This helps your heating and cooling system, and can help you save when buying air filters. The less accumulated pet hair on your air filters, the longer you can go before having to switch them out.