Throughout much of the history of the Western world, the prevailing practice regarding the treatment of pets was to leave them outside. Nowadays, that's far from the case. In fact most pet owners can't imagine leaving beloved cats and dogs outside to face the weather without the comfort of air conditioning and heating.But living indoors with pets creates some challenges when it comes to keeping the home clean, and preventing the pets from disrupting our home appliances. Among the major challenges for people in homes with pets is filtering pet hair out of the HVAC system.
Pet Dander and More
The main issue for most homeowners when it comes to shedding pets is the hair. You have to vacuum the home more often, and though you may not have known it, you should be changing your HVAC filter more often too. It's not just the hair you want to keep out of the equipment; pets also shed dander, to which many people are allergic. When dander is pulled into your system, it can get redistributed into your home's air. The best defense is a good quality, dense air filter. The filter should likely be changed even more often than the manufacturer recommends when you have pets.Brush your pets outdoors frequently to remove loose hair and dander. Also, bathe them as often as the vet recommends.
Dirt
Pets, like people, track dirt and dust into the home when they go in and out. While we can take our shoes off, they will be bringing in dirt on their feet. You are probably already in the practice of cleaning their feet if they are muddy, but you may want to wipe their feet off when they come inside just to get the dust off.
Marking Territory
Male dogs are known for marking territory by hiking their legs and urinating on objects in the yard -- including the air conditioner condenser. If your dog does this, erect a barrier around the unit. Urine can corrode the coils.
For more tips for homes with pets, contact Air Assurance, serving Broken Arrow.
Our goal is to help educate our customers in the Tulsa and Broken Arrow, Oklahoma area about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). For more information about other HVAC topics, call us at 918-217-8273.