Our furry friends are without a doubt family members – they give us comfort, unconditional love, and are always happy to see us when we come home. Plain and simple, they make life extraordinarily better. And if you have pets like most of us at Carolina Comfort Air, you too know the struggle of constantly tending to pet hair throughout your home.
Pet dander has the potential to be a real issue for your home’s heating and cooling system with clogged filters and ducts forcing your AC system to work overtime, leading to reduced efficiency, and greater maintenance issues.
With furry friends in the home, your HVAC system will require some additional TLC to run optimally. Follow these HVAC maintenance tips for fellow pet lovers!
- Change Air Filter Every 30 Days
We recommend replacing your disposable air filters every 30-60 days. With pets in the home, you should really replace every 30 days, as pet dander quickly accumulates to clog filters. Changing your air filters is one of the most proactive ways to keep your air conditioner in good shape and maintain clean indoor air quality. This is also an inexpensive way to extend the life of your heating and cooling equipment.
Too often forget to replace your air filters? Mark your calendar, set a reminder on your phone, or ask your smart home assistant to alert you when it’s time to replace your them!
- Clean Air Ducts
When your pets shed indoors, their dander winds up in your hvac system and your air ducts. Any particulates that are trapped within your air ducts are then recirculated throughout your air, yuck! When you inhale these particles, your body may respond by coughing, sneezing, wheezing, or even result in a runny or stuffy nose. Prolonged exposure to excessive pet dander can even lead to more serious respiratory issues.
We encourage you to inspect your air ducts for pet hair, dust, and debris. You’ll know a dirty air duct when you see it! We recommend having your air ducts cleaned every 3 to 5 years.
- Clean Carpets Often
Your home’s carpet is a trap for pet dander only to recirculate when stirred up by any foot traffic. Give your HVAC system a lending hand by regularly dusting and vacuuming your carpet and rest of your home. Keeping your home free of these allergens will help your air conditioner from being overloaded by removing the particles before they reach your system. You may consider investing in a robot vacuum to ease the burden of the chore! Today’s smart vacuums learn the areas of your home, identify high-trafficked or especially dirty areas, and can even be set to schedules.
- Protect Outdoor Unit
When your pets roam in the backyard and have access to your outdoor HVAC unit, they may “mark” it. This can lead to damaging corrosion over time of your coils and fins. You can’t always keep a watchful eye as your four legged friends wander in your yard, but there are proper enclosures to ensure their curiosity does not harm your heating and cooling unit, all the while maintaining airflow.
- Use an Air Purifier
Having an air purifier will take some of the stress placed on your air filters. Air purifiers not only reduce pet hair and dander that clog your filter and home ventilation system, but they also eliminate other airborne allergens such as dust and mold. Carolina Comfort Air offers a variety of indoor air quality products designed to purify your home’s air!
Related Blog: 3 Indoor Air Quality Products to Reduce Home Allergens
- Groom Pets Regularly
Regularly grooming your furry pal will prevent your filters from being clogged so quickly and will even reduce the dander that circulates your home. If brushing your pet outdoors be sure to place the fur in the trash otherwise it may eventually find its way into your outdoor unit.
- Call a Pro for Regular HVAC Maintenance
There is only so much you can do to keep your HVAC vents and filters in tip-top condition. Routine maintenance on your air conditioning system ensures everything is thoroughly cleaned, inspected for optimal efficiency, and prevents additional damage by identifying potential risks. Carolina Comfort Air recommends scheduling bi-annual maintenance, once in the spring and then again in the fall.
Our AC maintenance plans include a complete system inspection, detailed cleaning, priority service, discount on repairs, and never any overtime fees! Schedule maintenance, now!
IMPORTANT: Don’t forget to keep your pets comfortable too. While you’re programming your thermostat for the hours you are away, remember to account for your furry friend’s comfort as well. While pets don’t need the heat or air conditioning set at the same levels we require, do remember their safety and comfort too.