There are many benefits to owning a pet. Studies have shown that the bond between a pet and their owner is connected to several health benefits including: increased opportunity for exercise, better cognitive function, more socialization, improved mood, decreased blood pressure, and even lessened feelings of loneliness and anxiety.
While the benefits of owning a pet are seemingly endless, with them comes great responsibility. Taking care of a pet involves time, patience and these days can be very costly. One area that is often overlooked by homeowners is the impact an animal’s fur, dander and trailing in of outdoor pollutants can have on your indoor air quality and HVAC effectiveness.
Here are three HVAC maintenance tips for pet owners to keep your HVAC working optimally:
- Change your air filters: Depending on the type of filter you have, ideally you should be changing your filter every 30-60 days. Start by checking your air filters throughout your house once or twice a month to get a gauge on how dirty they are appearing. You may notice during your pet’s shedding season or peak allergy season months that you will need to change the air filters out more regularly. You can take this a step further and add an additional filter or purifier to your system to remove more pet hair and dander from the air so that they don’t get into your HVAC unit and cause blockages or other problems.
- Clean your ducts and vents: The majority of pets have dander. Pet dander is composed of microscopic flecks of skin shed by dogs, cats, rodents, birds and other animals with fur or feathers. If you have allergies, dander can be a huge trigger for you. Because of its size, pet dander can and will find its way into your air ducts causing them to get recirculated through the home when your HVAC is on. You can help minimize pet dander and hair getting into the ducts by cleaning out your ducts and vents monthly yourself using a vacuum.
- Schedule yearly professional maintenance: Even if you are doing diy maintenance throughout the months, it is important to schedule yearly maintenance to have a licensed HVAC technician inspect and tune-up your system. There are cleaning techniques that only the professionals can do and their ability to notice and diagnose an issue before it becomes a problem is invaluable. A proper air duct cleaning washes out all of that pet danger, along with dust, bacteria, and debris that is stuck in it.
Your pet is a part of your family and it is important to do what you can to keep them and your home healthy. Mason Air Conditioning and Heating, Inc. has been providing maintenance, repairs and installing new HVAC systems in Florida for years. We service the Tampa, Clearwater, St. Petersburg, and Bradenton areas. Let us help you keep your AC system in clean, working order. To schedule your complimentary service visit today, please call 727-433-9853 or contact us online.