Keep Everyone — and Every Pet — In Your House Comfortable

In most households, we're continuously adjusting the thermostat to accommodate a wide variety of temperature needs. But while we tend to think mostly of our own human comfort, what about the needs of our pets?

Whether they are covered with fur, scales or feathers, animals often have different temperature needs than we do. Forced to endure conditions that are too hot or too cold, pets may sicken and die. Read on for some wisdom regarding home comfort for pets.

Wintertime Comfort

If you have indoor pets, be aware that they may find your heating a bit excessive. The fact that they have fur coats — particularly dogs — can mean they need to cool off a bit when you crank up the heat. If your dog is panting and the rest of your household is toasty at between 72 and 78 degrees, you may want to provide the dog with a fan to cool off.

Elderly and sick animals are a different story. Make sure they have a warm place to sleep when you turn the thermostat down to save energy when you're away from home or sleeping. Sometimes, pets may require a heated bed or a space heater to be comfortable.

Adjust the thermostat in a fish tank in line with recommendations for the species of fish you have.

Make sure birds are not too close to heat sources and that they are not stuck in sunlight or in a draft. Low-voltage heaters are available for bird cages. Don't give birds fibrous material to shred, as they might eat it.

For other types of caged animals, such as rabbits and rodents, give them shavings or recycled cardboard bedding, and provide them with a nesting box.

Summertime Comfort

During cooling season, you may want to provide a fan to ensure dogs and cats are comfortable, especially if you tend to keep the house on the warm side.

Be sure that pets have access to water in both summer and winter. Drinking water helps many mammals cool off.

For more on home comfort for pets, contact Air Assurance of Broken Arrow.

The Best Ways to Keep Outside Pets Warm in the Winter Season

Winter has arrived, and that's great news for millions of people across the country, but sometimes our pets need a little extra care to make sure they stay warm. Here are a few quick tips that will make keeping pets warm in the winter an easy task:

Don't Turn Off the Thermostat When You Leave

If you were home during the day, you most likely wouldn't turn your thermostat off, so don't do this to your pets either. That being said, since their acceptable range for temperatures is wider than people, you can lower the temperature down to 60 to 70 degrees while you're away and they will be fine.

Supply a Shelter and a Feeding Station

If you have an outdoor dog or cat, he or she may want to stay indoors more often, but there's still a good chance that they'll go outside too. Make sure that you've set up a shelter outside to help them stay warm, along with a feeding station so they don't get hungry.

Pick Up Some Pet Clothing

You may think that pet clothing, such as sweaters, looks a little silly, but it keeps them quite warm. In addition to the standard pet sweater, you may also want to consider some doggie booties so that ice doesn't collect on the bottoms of their paws.

Use Caution with De-Icing Chemicals

If you're planning on using antifreeze or another type of de-icing chemical, then be very wary about using them where pets might have access to the toxic substance. Also, keep the container in a place that your pets can't get to, and if a spill occurs, wipe it up immediately.

Pay Special Attention to Older Pets

Elderly animals can suffer from arthritic aches and pains just like we do. If your older pets seem to be uncomfortable, consider contacting your vet and getting him or her some pain medication.

If you'd like more expert advice on keeping pets warm in winter or have other HVAC issues that you need to discuss, please reach out to the friendly professionals at Air Assurance. We've been serving Broken Arrow and the surrounding areas for more than 35 years.

Puppy-Proof Your HVAC System

Owning a puppy is an incredibly rewarding experience. However, it can harm your HVAC equipment in more ways than one.Dogs come with dander that can pose a severe problem to the equipment. What's more, the notorious nature of young puppies to chew on just about anything can land them in lots of trouble while damaging your HVAC system. Use the HVAC protection tips below to keep both your system and four-legged friend safe.

Safeguard Your Outdoor Unit

The outdoor air conditioning unit is usually installed in the side yard or backyard. That means your pooch can easily access it when going outside to play or for bathroom breaks. The unit's wires, sharp edges, and metal pieces can create perilous situations for your dog.On the other hand, your furry child can damage the unit by scratching or chewing on it. Dog urine can also be extremely harmful to the unit. Consistent urination will degrade your unit and cause problems like erosion of fins and refrigerant leaks, forcing you to shell out hundreds or thousands of dollars for repairs.You can prevent accidents by putting up a reasonable barrier like a small fence around the outdoor condenser to prevent the puppy from accessing it. Just make sure you leave at least three feet between the barrier and the unit.

Control Hair and Dander

Dander and hair from your puppy can quickly become airborne and get into your HVAC system. Besides clogging up your filter, they can wrap around critical parts like the coils and cause severe damage. You can prevent such issues by:

• Replacing your filter frequently

• Cleaning your entire home including the air intakes regularly

• Washing and brushing your furry friend often to keep the dander and hair it sheds to a minimum

Remember, having a puppy requires you to make an extra effort toward HVAC protection. Don't forget to schedule a furnace or A/C tuneup regularly to ensure reliable performance and efficiency even if you have a furry friend. If you need dependable HVAC maintenance or repair in the Broken Arrow area, contact the experts at Air Assurance.

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.

IAQ Concerns for Valentine's Day

Some holidays raise more IAQ concerns (indoor air quality) especially Christmas and New Years. Even though it’s not as widely celebrated, Valentine’s Day is another celebration that can degrade IAQ as well.Between the gifts and the décor, this holiday could introduce volatile organic compounds (VOCs) into your air that might be mildly irritating or cause serious reactions. VOCs are gases that come from anything made from a hydrocarbon.Found in household cleaning products, air fresheners, candles, makeup and hair sprays, a Valentine’s Day celebration could leave behind respiratory irritants and chemicals that could have a serious long-term impact.

Limiting IAQ Concerns

• Instead of lighting paraffin candles made from wax, choose those made from beeswax or soy. If you want scented candles, choose those scented with essential oils rather than manufactured perfumes. The labels should indicate if they’re natural.

• Skip the aerosol air fresheners or those that plug into the walls. They’re usually loaded with VOCs. Weather permitting, open a window to pull in fresh air or freshen the air naturally.

• Look around your home. Sometimes odors indicate pet or kitchen odors that deep cleaning will remove. Use natural products like baking soda, vinegar, lemon juice, alcohol, or hydrogen peroxide to clean rather than the perfumed commercial cleaners.

Since Valentine’s Day is the holiday of love, show yours to your family and friends by giving up the use of artificial fragrances in your home as much as possible. Many people associate scented products with freshness and cleanliness, but in fact, public health experts have plenty of IAQ concerns regarding them. Some cause respiratory irritations while others are responsible for more serious organ damage and even cancer. Young and old people are most at risk for VOC exposure from artificial scents. You can find unscented products throughout grocery store aisles. You can also use your HVAC system to address IAQ concerns year-round by adding air cleaners and UV (ultraviolet) lights.

To learn more, contact Air Assurance, providing HVAC services for Broken Arrow homeowners.

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.

Ideal Indoor Heating for Homes with Pets

Most of us set the thermostat to suit ourselves, without much thought about what's good for those furry creatures we share our homes with. But over the years you've had indoor pets, you may have noticed that some animals are more sensitive than others to temperature.Here are some things to think about this winter when it comes to indoor heating and your pets.

No Ideal Thermostat Setting

Although a range of 65-78 degrees is best for most humans, if you have a sensitive animal you may have to make some adjustments.In general, dogs are fine with cooler temperatures than those preferred by cats. Some cat breeds, such as Siamese and those with thin or no hair, are extremely sensitive to chills. Some dogs, too, such as small breeds with thin coats, may shiver at the lower end of that range. Be sure to provide such pets with blankets and/or space heaters to help them stay warm if you keep your home on the cooler side.Larger breeds of dogs and cats, as well as pets with more body fat, also tolerate cooler temperatures better than smaller animals.Very young pets, elderly pets and pets with special medical conditions, such as infections and joint issues, may do better with warmer temperatures.Also, be sensitive to the fact that air conditioning and heating can dry out the interior of the home. While drier air may be good for some pets, do monitor the condition of your pet's coat for excessive drying and flaking. You might need to adjust for a little more humidity if this happens, or else add some supplements to the pet's diet for its skin.

Home Alone

If you must leave your pets alone for extended periods, make arrangements to have someone drop in daily to ensure the HVAC system is working fine and the pets are not in any distress. It's a good idea to schedule maintenance on the system before you leave home.

For more on indoor heating and your pets, contact Air Assurance. We serve Broken Arrow and the surrounding area.

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.

Homes With Pets: HVAC Tips and Maintenance

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.