Millions of individuals across San Diego County enjoy having a furry friend - not to mention billions across the world. We humans require company, and pets such as cats and dogs provide unconditional love in the form of warm and fuzzy affection. They're also a never-ending supply of pet fur that can get into the air, HVAC systems & ductwork...
Pet hair can have a big impact on the indoor air quality in your house, especially if you have someone who is allergic to dust and/or dander. No amount of vacuuming can completely remove pet fur and natural dander from the air. A great way to curtail your allergies, however, is to maintain your HVAC system. HVAC maintenance is necessary to keep your system and air quality in good working order while your furry friend sheds.
Today, we're going to focus on a few practical maintenance recommendations that will help you take care of your pets, your HVAC, and your air quality - all in one convenient list!
Call us today to schedule your pet-friendly HVAC maintenance!
1) Brush Your Pets Regularly
Brushing your pet on a regular basis is the greatest way to keep pet hair out of your HVAC system. This is by far the easiest type of HVAC maintenance available, since most pets love it! Brushing your dog, cat, rabbit, or other furry friend picks up hair and deposits it onto the ground rather than the air. You might get a few airborne strands, but it'll be a lot less with routine brushing. The more fur you can collect with your brush and discard, the less hair will float into the intakes and clog the filter.
Brush your pet on the back porch or on a hard-floored area where the mess will be easy to clean up. Brushing outside is particularly advantageous because loose fur can be carried away by the wind rather. This means less air conditioning and HVAC system maintenance.
2) Replace Air Filters Regulalry
If you know there's a source of filter-clogging material in the house (pet hair and dander), you may safely assume your filters will load up faster than in a fur-free environment. As a result, it's best for you to change filters often. If your filters or HVAC system require one new filter every three months, try replacing them every two or two and a half months. Keep an eye on your filters for indicators that they've become clogged with pet hair and need to be replaced. It's best to set a calendar reminder on your phone or physical calendar for filter changes.
Another helpful tip is to match your filter-change schedule to your pet's shedding rate, if your pet sheds seasonally. For instance, you could change the filters more frequently in the spring, rather than winter when shedding is slower.
How often your dog needs to be brushed and how many "brushes" of fur you clean out in one brushing session will tell you how fast they shed.
3) Install Higher Quality Air Filters
One of the most well-known allergies in the world is pet dander. While there are hundreds of pollen variations, having a pet in the house is a sure source of allergies if you're allergic to cats and/or dogs. This is why we recommend investing in higher quality air filters.
MERV ratings are used to rate air filters. MERV stands for Minimum Efficiency Reporting Value, and it measures average particle size efficiency in microns - aka its efficiency.
Lower MERV values filter less effectively, but higher MERV ratings achieve high filtration levels. For newer dwellings, MERV 5-8 filters are required. Look for filters with a MERV of 10-12 if you want to lessen allergies. These trap smaller particles – like pet dander – and prevent the allergens from filling your HVAC unit as dust or coming back into your home air through the vents.
Call us today to schedule your pet-friendly HVAC maintenance!
4) Enclose Your Outdoor AC Unit with a Fence for Protection
Protecting your outdoor air conditioner unit if your pets spend time in the backyard is a great way to help your air quality. Outdoor units are at risk when it comes to territorial marking/peeing, and also fur. The easiest way to keep it safe is to construct a tiny fence a few feet around the unit and keep it away from pets.
The condenser in your outdoor unit is a massive suction machine. Its vents actively pull in outside air as part of the interior air cycle process. When your pet brushes against the condenser, as dogs and cats do, their fur and dander are deposited straight in the unit. This might clog your outside unit and introduce dander from the outside into your HVAC system.
If you have a pet who urinates on tall objects, such as trees, the condenser is at risk. Urine is corrosive, and the fins of the condenser will be entirely etched away in yards where a dog has been peeing on it on a daily basis.
If your pets spend time outside near the AC unit, a tiny fence is the ideal solution for protecting your outside unit.
5) Vacuum the House Regularly
Hair and dander are drawn in by your indoor air intake. You want it to be because it draws all of the dust and allergens into the filter, allowing the HVAC cycle to enhance household air quality. However, you may extend the life of each filter by vacuuming away as much pet hair as possible. Along with combing your pet on a regular basis, vacuum at least twice a week to remove any shedding that has sunk into the carpet and furniture and could become airborne again.
When you're done cleaning, run the vacuum hose around the edges of each room to pick up any fur that's hiding behind furniture or against the wall. You can limit the amount of fur your air filter needs to deal with each month by cleaning up and vacuuming free-standing fur around the house.
6) Twice Annual HVAC Maintenance
Finally, keep up with your HVAC maintenance. A house with pets is full of love, but it’s also full of fur which puts extra stress on your HVAC system. A smart HVAC maintenance schedule includes an inspection and tune-up once to twice a year. On the first inspection, mention that you have a pet (or pets) and want to make sure pet fur isn’t choking the system.
Your technician will take a close look at the indoor and outdoor units, provide maintenance services, and make suggestions on how to best take care of your unit and protect it from excessive pet hair issues. Or they’ll congratulate you on keeping your unit clean with regular pet and HVAC care because you’re already on the ball.
Call us today to schedule your pet-friendly HVAC maintenance!
—
Is your furry best friend a threat to your HVAC system? No, as long as you increase the frequency of filter changes and plan yearly HVAC maintenance to keep the unit in good working order. Your pets are a joy to have around the house, and their dander will not really make a dent in your air filters if you brush and vacuum them regularly. For a pet-friendly HVAC company in El Cajon on how to live peacefully with pets and high-quality home air filtration, call us today!
Blue Diamond Heating and Air
609 Cedar St
El Cajon, CA 92021
(619) 514-2114
