Four HVAC Repair And Maintenance Tips For Pet Owners

Posted on: 24 April 2020

Pets bring a lot of joy to their families, but they can also lead to more work. Pet hair, in particular, can lead your HVAC system to work harder in order to keep your home at a comfortable temperature. The good news is that you can counteract some of the stress on the system caused by your pets by using the following HVAC repair and maintenance tips.

Tip 1: Practice Proper Filter Hygiene

Your HVAC filter is probably exposed to the brunt of the pet hair and dander in your home, so frequent changes are necessary in order to avoid frequent repairs. You may need to change the filter monthly, especially when your pet is actively shedding. Keep in mind that the better the filter, the smaller the filtration pores. These smaller pores can become blocked more readily by pet hair, which can also increase the frequency of filter replacement. Further, pet hair can collect in the filter housing, so you need to dust out the housing before replacing the filter.

Tip 2: Bust the Fuzz in The Ducts

Pet hair easily gets into the duct system and air returns, which then means it will eventually get transmitted into your HVAC unit. An abundance of hair in the unit can cause a unit to break down, thus necessitating a repair. When cleaning your home, take a few extra minutes to dust off the vent covers on floor registers and wall air returns. Go a step further about once a month and remove the register covers. Then, use your vacuum cleaner's wand attachment to vacuum as much hair out of the exposed duct as you can.

Tip 3: Gate Off The Main Units

Pets should never be allowed around an HVAC unit, whether its the main furnace in your basement or the AC unit sitting next to your house. Pets can damage wiring or disturb other parts of the unit, which can injure the pet and cause the unit to breakdown. If you can't simply shut a door on your furnace, then use pet or child gates around the unit to exclude your pet. Outside, place a low fence around the unit. Just make sure there is still plenty of room around the unit so that air can circulate freely.

Tip 4: Upgrade the Air Quality Situation

If pet hair and dander seems to be affecting the air quality in your home, then you may need to add a purification system to your AC unit. There are units available that hook right into your HVAC system so that they can remove excess dander and hair from the air before it circulates through your HVAC unit and back into your home. An HVAC repair technician can add a purifier to your existing system.

Contact an HVAC repair service for more help.

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