Owning a pet is a rewarding experience. Pets offer companionship and unconditional love. As a pet owner, it’s your job to provide your animal with a safe and loving home environment. This means you need to put in a little added effort when it comes to your HVAC system. Here are some tips to keep your home safe and comfortable for both you and your pets.
Keep it clean
We’ll start with the most obvious tip; keep your pet clean. Pet dander is a huge issue when it comes to the quality of your air. Dander from dogs and cats is actually the leading cause of allergies. This is why regularly bathing and brushing is crucial in ensuring good air quality in your home. You should also vacuum and dust regular to keep pet hair at a minimum. Annual duct cleaning will also help eliminate the buildup of contaminants and debris within the ductwork of your home.
Check for exposed wires
Exposed wires to your HVAC system can be an alluring “chew toy” for many pets. This is obviously most common in puppies and kittens, but you can never be too safe even with your grown pets. To keep the wires and your pet safe, enclose wires in conduits.
Change your HVAC system’s air filter
Having a pet means you should change your HVAC system’s air filter more often than those without a pet – especially if your pet is a high shedder. Check your air filter once a month to make sure it’s not dirty or clogged with pet hair. A clogged air filter means higher utility bills and it could even shorten the life of your HVAC system.
Enclose outside condenser units
If your pet has free reign of the yard, they pose a threat to your outside unit. If your pet claws the fins on the condenser coils, they could injure themselves and damage your unit. Also, dogs mark their territory by urinating. Your condenser could be a target. Urine can cause the fins to erode over time and even cause costly refrigerant leaks. Avoid any of these potential issues by putting up a fence or some type of barrier around your condenser unit.
The HVAC professionals at Joseph H. Roberts Inc., can provide you with regular maintenance to make sure everything is running properly, and if it’s not, we can fix it. If you live with cats or dogs contact us today at (609) 693-2457 to see how we can help you improve the air quality in your home for you and your pets.
