Six HVAC Maintenance Tips for Pet Owners

May 5, 2021 10:33 pm Published by Leave your thoughts

Your house in Oklahoma City, OK is not a home without your pets, but their hair often wreaks havoc on your HVAC system. Fortunately, you can reduce this impact and enjoy better indoor air quality by following some HVAC tips that keep your system clean. Here are six HVAC pet tips to start you out:

  • Change filters more frequently: Pet hair and dander build up quickly in your HVAC filters. While some people can get away with changing the filters once or twice or year, you will likely have to change them at least every 60 days—especially if you have a long-haired cat or dog who sheds frequently. Consider 60 days the standard, but check them every 30 days and change them when needed.
  • Clean your ducts: Your HVAC filters are not the only things that accumulate hair and dander. Ducting also attracts them and filters them right back into your home. Even people who are generally not allergic to animals may cough and sneeze when hair and dander build up and flow throughout your ducts. Schedule cleaning every three to five years, and check vents for excessive dirt accumulation. That will improve air quality as well as relieve your respiratory symptoms.
  • Protect your outdoor unit: Pets love to play outside, but they can threaten your outdoor AC unit. Besides defecating too close to it, a playful puppy may chew or claw at it, causing damage. Marking the unit is another issue that will corrode it in time. When you install an AC unit, add a fence around it so your pets cannot access it. Do not build a shelter over it, as that will reduce airflow.
  • Groom regularly: If you keep up with grooming, your pets will drop less air and dander into your HVAC system. Brush dogs and long-haired cats every few days, and brush short-haired cats once a week. Use dry shampoo to clean them up quickly, as that will also control dander. Regular brushing also reduces the need for frequent baths, which will make your pets thankful!
  • Control indoor access: If you have a heat pump inside, keep the door to your HVAC units closed. Dogs and cats can get stuck in the nooks and crannies in utility rooms, and their hair builds up around pilot lights and vents. If you do not have a door to your utility room, either install one or set up a gate to limit access.
  • Clean carpets regularly: Carpet cleaning goes a long way in limiting hair and dander in your home and keeping your indoor air fresh. Hair and dander embed into the carpet, and is then unsettled and released into the air when people walk across it. Schedule carpet cleaning as part of your spring-cleaning routine. Your home will feel fresher, and your HVAC system will run better without extra those extra particles in the air.

Dailey Heating & Air Conditioning offers air conditioning service in Oklahoma City, OK. We hope you found these HVAC pet tips helpful and that you will enjoy a cool home with your animal companions this summer. Call us today to schedule a service appointment or learn more HVAC tips to help your system last longer and run more efficiently.

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