7 HVAC Tips for Parents and Pet Owners

As a parent or pet owner, ensuring the comfort and safety of your family can be considered a top priority. One crucial component of the home that is easily forgotten about is your home’s HVAC system. 

This essential piece of equipment is responsible for the heating, cooling, and ventilation of your home, which can directly impact the health of your loved ones. These HVAC maintenance tips for pet owners and parents will help ensure a comfortable and healthy home environment for your family and four-legged friend.

1. Replace the Air Filter Often

Pet hair, dust, and other airborne contaminants travel throughout your house when you have a dirty or clogged air filter. A dirty air filter also causes your HVAC system to work harder due to restricted airflow. It is best to inspect your air filter every 30 to 90 days to see if it needs to be cleaned or replaced.

2. Regularly Clean Your Vents

It’s common for dust, pet dander, and other particles to build up on your vent covers. It doesn’t matter whether your vents are located up higher or on the floor, as they’re still bound to accumulate dust over time.

If you have floor vents in your home, pets will tend to lay on them for warmth or to cool off, depending on the season. For homes with floor vents especially, it’s important to regularly clean them for better airflow and cleaner air to be circulated throughout the house.

3. Schedule Regular HVAC Maintenance

Scheduling maintenance on your HVAC system is ideal before the season changes, especially in the winter and summer months when we see drastically low or high temperatures. Ensuring that your HVAC system is well-maintained and ready to take on harsh temperatures is important in making sure that your family is comfortable and not left worrying about a breakdown.

4. Promote Healthy IAQ

Indoor air quality is important for everyone, especially for a child whose immune system and respiratory tract are still developing. Babies breathe in more air per pound of body weight than adults, which makes them more vulnerable to airborne contaminants.

To enhance the indoor air quality in your home, consider using air purifiers or installing air-cleaning systems within the HVAC unit. Regularly clean and dust your home to reduce allergens and pollutants. You can also promote proper ventilation by opening windows when weather permits.

5. Consider a Programmable Thermostat

A programmable or smart thermostat can be set to keep your home within your ideal temperature range. It can even be adjusted remotely, ensuring your child’s and pet’s comfort even when you’re away.

Some models can be programmed to send alerts to your phone if the temperature exceeds the set range, allowing for quick adjustments. This is an attractive feature for parents with a baby, considering babies are significantly more sensitive to temperature fluctuations than adults and cannot regulate their body temperature as effectively.

6. Consider High-Quality Air Filters

Another important HVAC tip for parents is to install high-quality filters. Air filters are an essential component of your HVAC system. There are various models for specific needs. The pricier air filters often have a higher MERV rating than standard air filters, which means that they have a larger surface area to filter while still trapping smaller particles. 

MERV stands for “Minimum Efficiency Reporting Value,” and it’s a measure of how well an air filter can remove particles from the air. Investing in high-efficiency air filters that are designed to capture pet dander and allergens can help improve your home’s indoor air quality and reduce the impact of pet-related contaminants on your HVAC system.

7. Groom Your Pets Regularly

Regularly grooming your pets helps minimize shedding, reducing the amount of hair and dander that enters your home’s HVAC system. Brushing your pets frequently can also make a significant difference in maintaining a cleaner environment.

By following these HVAC maintenance tips for pet owners and parents, you can create a more comfortable and healthy indoor environment for both your family and your pets. 

Blake Brothers has been a trusted name in the HVAC services industry in Huntsville for over 135 years. If you are looking for a reliable HVAC contractor company with knowledge of proper indoor air quality, then contact us today.

We also offer a Priority Maintenance plan that provides two HVAC system tune-ups each year, ten percent off repair quotes, no emergency fees, and more!