Raising pets can be fulfilling and fun for every homeowner. However, these furry family members can add to some problems with your heating and cooling system. Once you observe shedding, there is possibly a dander accumulation in your home.
It is always best to be extra cautious with your air duct maintenance when you have pets at home. The dander and hair can eventually get in your system, circulating it throughout your house and potentially block your filters. In order to resolve this, you need to pay attention to the important steps that can make a big difference in your home air quality.
What Are Pet Allergies?
Pets are valuable additions to a family and have some positive effects on our overall health. Some studies indicate that owning pets can maintain healthy blood pressure, heart rate, and even alleviate depression and anxiety.
For those people who have some allergies, though, the dander and fur associated with pets can be harmful. Although cleaning air filters and vacuuming can definitely help prevent pet hair and dust, it does not eliminate the spreading contaminants blowing throughout your house. To a person with an allergic reaction, an indication of pet dander and fur can result in a list of symptoms including sneezing, congestion, wheezing, breathing difficulty, or even chronic allergic reactions.
Pet Dust in Air Ducts
Pet dander is a big challenge for many pet owners. It’s constantly shed by different types of pets such as dogs, cats, and most other mammals. When you own a pet with fur, it’s possibly shedding dander in your house. Although you may keep your home as dander-free as possible, they are microscopic and can stick in the air over time before getting in your air ducts.
Although having routine filter replacement and cleaning definitely can help keep pet dander and dust in control, it does not get rid of the problem. Some pet allergens, including hair, pet food scraps, dead skin flakes, and even their urine can get stuck within the air ducts. It means that in any given time air is spread through the home, from releasing heat or air conditioning, those allergens circulate throughout every part of your home. For those individuals with chronic allergies, this can definitely aggravate the symptoms. In order to completely eliminate pet contaminants, the air ducts must be regularly cleaned by professionals.
There are some steps you can do in order to lessen the amount of dander or fur in your home air duct system. Below are the most useful tips for air duct cleaning for pet owners:
Dander and Dirt in Air Duct
Owning pets such as dogs, cats, and other animals inside your home can also mean living with dander, dirt, and allergens. This is not a good news for your air ducts, which can become blocked and polluted with the extra debris. Regardless of your pet sheds much or less, make sure to wash and brush your pet regularly to eliminate the dirt, dander, and other contaminants that can invade your home.
You also need to clear vacuum carpets, mop floors, and wipe the dust off your furniture regularly to keep the stray hairs, dirt, and other contaminants from getting in their way into their air ducts. Your pets can only be as healthy and safe as the environment it resides in. Thus, your HVAC system does not have to work as hard if you are away from home. Your pets can contain a higher temperature range more practically, which enables your HVAC system to not work extra hard.
Regularly Replace Your HVAC Filters
One aspect of the maintenance you have to do to prevent your HVAC system from pet dander and fur is to change your HVAC filter regularly. Dander, fur, debris, and other air pollutants get caught in the filters, which clog the airflow through the vents of your system. Replacing your filter on a regular basis will ensure that your HVAC system is operating at an optimum level all year round while increasing the energy efficiency of your home.
Have Your System Cleaned Professionally
The most important step to take is getting your ducts cleaned. Air duct maintenance is a complex process and is best taken care by professional HVAC repair and maintenance service providers like 5 Star Air. Regular maintenance, including air duct cleaning, repairs, and other services are very important for the health of your unit and can keep your unit working at the highest level and well into the future, regardless if you have a furry member in the property, or not.
Enclose Your Outdoor Unit
Installing a fence around the unit outside your house can help keep area pets and wildlife from chewing, scratching, or urinating on system components. The nature of the urine of your pets can result in coils to degenerate prematurely, increasing the risk of refrigerant leaks and system breakdown. When installing the fence yourself, make sure that you provide sufficient distance from the unit to have enough airflow. If you are uncertain where to put up your fence while enabling proper ventilation, ask an expert. Minimal airflow and the performance of your HVAC system can be significantly affected.
Your heat and air conditioning system should be maintained annually, once to prepare for the cooling time period, and once to prepare for the heating period. The importance of regular maintenance cannot be understated. Regular maintenance is needed for different things, most especially keeping your air duct system operating at full capacity. For those raising pets, though, regular maintenance will help determine issues with the system due to the other load pets stuck in the system.
We are aware that the draw for your pets is strong. Who can resist the cuteness, the sweet disposition, and the unconditional love of the animals? Following the given tips, though, will help you be able to prevent your pets from damaging your heating and cooling system and keep both your family and your pets more comfortable and healthy.
The 5 Star Air technicians are professionals in HVAC system repair, maintenance, and installation. We have served several homeowners with animals to keep and extend the life of their HVAC system while keeping their furry companion safe at home, and can teach what you can do to look after your HVAC system.
