Here in Temecula, CA, plenty of homeowners couldn’t imagine life without their beloved pets, and most are willing to do everything in their power to keep their pets healthy, happy, and comfortable. One of the best ways to do that is to optimize your home’s HVAC to provide the best possible indoor environment for them. Doing so will also help keep the humans in your home healthy and comfortable, too. Here are seven of the best ways to optimize your home’s HVAC for your pets.
1. Change Your Air Filters Regularly
On average, the air filters inside a forced-air residential HVAC system need replacement every three months. However, homes with pets may need filter changes more often than that. If you have dogs or cats, it’s a good idea to change your HVAC filters every one or two months. This will keep your home and HVAC ductwork from accumulating too much pet hair and dander. It will also help preserve your HVAC efficiency by preventing any restrictions in airflow caused by a dirty filter.
If you wish, you can even upgrade your HVAC filter to one with a higher MERV rating. MERV, or Minimum Efficiency Reporting Value, is a measure of how much and what types of particulate matter an air filter will remove from your air. A filter with a higher MERV rating will keep your HVAC cleaner and provide you with improved indoor air quality. Most residential HVAC systems come with air filters with a MERV rating of 10. In most cases, you can safely upgrade to one with a MERV rating as high as 13 as long as it has the same dimensions as the original. Don’t go any higher than that, though, or you may restrict airflow through your HVAC system, harming its efficiency and causing unnecessary wear and tear.
2. Clean and Vacuum Your Vents Regularly
Another way to optimize your HVAC for your pets is to make it a habit to clean and vacuum your vents regularly. In general, you should remember to vacuum your home’s vents and return air grilles at least once every two weeks. This will prevent the accumulation of dust and dirt in and around them. That’s often a problem in homes with pets, and especially ones with pets who go outside frequently.
You should also remove your vent covers and return air grilles for a thorough cleaning twice per year before the start of the heating and cooling seasons. You can clean them by washing them in hot soapy water. Just make sure to dry them thoroughly before reinstalling them. You can also use these occasions as an opportunity to vacuum as far into your home’s ductwork as you can reach.
3. Purchase and Use a HEPA-Filtered Vacuum
It is also a good idea for pet owners to purchase and use a vacuum that includes HEPA filtration in their homes. HEPA filters are the kinds of filters used in hospitals and other sensitive settings because they can remove even the smallest harmful particles from the air. A vacuum with HEPA filtration will help you remove pet hair and dander from your home without sending it airborne. That helps keep those substances out of your HVAC system in the first place. If you’re diligent about using your HEPA vacuum as often as possible, you may even be able to cut back on your HVAC air filter changes and other HVAC cleaning regimens.
4. Consider a Whole-House Air Purifier
Most of the recommended HVAC optimizations for homes with pets revolve around keeping your HVAC as clean as possible. This is due to the increased dust, dirt, hair, and dander pets tend to generate. However, conventional HVAC systems can only do so much to keep those substances out of your home’s air. You can further improve your home’s indoor air quality by installing a whole-house air purifier or filtration system. There are purpose-built systems designed specifically to address the air quality issues present in homes with pets. They work in concert with your HVAC to provide cleaner, healthier air for both you and your pets.
5. Get Your Ductwork Cleaned Periodically
Another great way to optimize your home’s HVAC for your pets is to have your HVAC ductwork professionally cleaned periodically. You should do this approximately every three to five years to keep your ductwork as clean as possible. Professional duct cleaners use specialized equipment to remove pet hair, dander, dust, and dirt from the parts of your ductwork you can’t reach yourself. This prevents those substances from continuing to circulate through your home. Not only is this a great way to improve your health and the health of your pet, but it will help lengthen your HVAC lifespan by reducing unnecessary wear and tear on the system itself.
6. Schedule Bi-Annual HVAC Maintenance
The most important way to optimize your HVAC for your pets is to make sure your HVAC will remain reliable at all times. If your HVAC fails on a hot or cold day while you’re not home, it could have serious detrimental health effects on your pet. To avoid that, you should schedule bi-annual maintenance appointments for your HVAC system. One appointment should happen before each cooling season begins. This will give one of our expert HVAC technicians a chance to inspect and service your air conditioning system. They’ll clean and lubricate its moving parts and test its major components. If they spot any signs of trouble, they’ll let you know.
The second appointment should happen just before each heating season. During that appointment, one of our HVAC technicians will inspect your furnace for any signs of unusual wear and tear or imminent component failure. They’ll also clean your furnace’s burners to restore its energy efficiency and support complete combustion.
7. Set Your Thermostat for Your Pets
Finally, you can optimize your home’s HVAC for your pets by using your thermostat to ensure their comfort at all times. Homes with pets need to maintain comfortable temperatures at all times and not just when their human occupants are home. Therefore, you should remember to keep your temperature set between 68- and 72 degrees Fahrenheit, even when you’re not home. That way, your pets won’t get too cold in the winter or warm in the summer while you’re not around to notice.
Your Local Pet-Friendly HVAC Company
Since 2000, We Care Plumbing, Heating, & Air has been the go-to pet-friendly HVAC company in Temecula. Our expert HVAC technicians can help you keep your home’s HVAC optimized for you and your pets at all times. We offer complete HVAC installation, maintenance, and repair services, along with comprehensive plumbing and indoor air quality services. Our multiple award-winning services are all you need to ensure your comfort in your home. As a Better Business Bureau-accredited business with an A+ rating, you can count on quality workmanship, fair prices, and excellent customer service whenever you work with us. So, if you need help optimizing your Temecula home’s HVAC for your pets, call the experts at We Care Plumbing, Heating, & Air today!
