Based on聽the American Pet Products Association’s 2024聽, more than聽82 million households聽have pets.聽The largest number聽of these聽cuddly family members聽are聽cats, dogs and other animals聽who聽will shed聽or聽release dander into聽their homes. While聽it's a joy聽to聽have a dog or cat,聽you'll want to take a few extra steps聽to聽keep your HVAC system running properly.聽Here are seven tips to follow聽for pet-friendly HVAC maintenance:
1.聽Replace Your Air Filter Frequently
The quality of your indoor air聽depends聽on the聽working condition of your air filter聽since聽it聽pulls聽dust, dander and聽allergens聽from the air.聽With pets,聽you聽might聽need to replace it sooner.
“It starts with聽checking the filter more regularly,” said Jim Hughes, Director of Field Training with聽天美传媒, one of the nation’s largest HVAC service and repair companies. “For instance, if you聽have a filter that’s聽supposed to last three months, you聽might聽want to聽check it every month.聽Pets can clog up the air filter much faster,聽particularly聽when your HVAC system runs most often.”
2.聽Look into Upgrading Your Air Filter
You聽should聽also聽think about getting a higher-rated air filter.聽Find聽the聽Minimum Efficiency Reporting Value (MERV)聽to聽learn聽the smallest聽particle size your air filter will trap. For residential use,聽filter ratings range between five and 13,聽with higher numbers providing better filtration.聽Consider at least a nine or higher聽to聽effectively filter out dander, Hughes added.聽A few聽pet owners聽sometimes upgrade to聽a high-efficiency聽whole home ventilation and air purification system.
3.聽Keep the AC's Condenser in the Best Possible Shape
The AC unit,聽particularly聽the聽outdoor unit, should be cleaned as part of a comprehensive聽HVAC tune-up.聽These condensers聽have聽coils/heat exchangers聽that聽collect their share of dirt and debris聽each year. 聽Unfortunately,聽pets may urinate on the outdoor unit, and if they are聽around it often enough,聽their fur may get pulled into the coils and clog them up.
“The聽acidity in pet urine聽will聽damage the AC coils聽and聽possibly lead to聽a refrigerant leak,” he said. “And聽too much hair in the condenser聽will聽lower the system's efficiency.” If聽necessary,聽add a small fence around your outdoor unit, but聽make sure airflow isn't blocked, Hughes聽suggests.
4.聽Maintain a Regular Grooming Schedule for Your Pet
By brushing your cat or dog regularly,聽less hair will enter your HVAC system. “I聽suggest using聽a vacuum brush to from their pets.聽This聽way聽you aren't releasing the hair or dander聽you’re brushing off into the home,” Hughes聽said.
5.聽Vacuum More Often and Clean Your Return Vents
Running the vacuum more often聽can聽limit the amount of hair and dander聽making its way into your system.聽While聽you're already vacuuming,聽it's also a good idea to vacuum the return air vents. The聽location of return air vents varies聽according to your home's layout.聽Regardless,聽your home will always have聽return聽air vents and supply air聽vents. Return air vents聽draw in air聽and then聽filter and recirculate it聽throughout your home聽using the supply air vents, so聽some extra聽vacuuming is聽another layer of protection against聽unwanted dust,聽dander and hair.
6.聽Get an HVAC Checkup Biannually
Your HVAC system should be聽serviced by a professional technician聽two times each year聽to make sure everything is working properly,聽and this is doubly so for homes with pets.聽Once聽the聽technician comes to your home,聽ask if there are聽other preventive steps to take聽to keep your system running smoothly.
“The visiting聽technician is聽an extra set of eyes for you聽to聽see how your pets are impacting the system,” Hughes said. “A tune-up聽is聽the perfect time聽to聽build an important relationship聽that聽promotes your HVAC system's long-term health.”
7.聽Look into Professional Air Duct Cleaning
When your HVAC system's air filters become clogged,聽dust and common allergens聽can聽leak into the ducts, causing聽more trouble with your home's air quality.聽If pet hair and dander still isn't under control, you might want to consider professional聽duct cleaning services.
“I know some pet owners who聽have their ductwork cleaned聽every聽few聽years.聽For pet owners, it can be a smart investment,” Hughes said.
To聽learn more聽about聽keeping indoor air quality high as a pet owner,聽request a professional HVAC tune-up today.
