Prevent Pet Hair and Dander From Damaging Your Furnace

Do you have a four-legged companion at home? If you do chances are your pet is an important part of your life. There's also a pretty good chance you have some kind of pet hair roller or remover for your wardrobe. Have you ever taken the time to think about what that same pet hair that clings to your clothes, along with the pet dander, does to your furnace? Thankfully there are furnace filters to protect the furnace, but just like the dirt, pet hair and dander are regular culprits when it comes to clogging up your furnace filter.

Short of keeping your pets outside, it's impossible to completely rid your home of pet hair and dander. Keeping it under control is the key and the following tips can help.

Grooming Regularly

The amount of hair your pet sheds largely depends on breed, however overall health and time of year can also play a big part. Certain breeds can develop a thicker coat during the winter months and will shed that coat come spring. Other factors like stress and nutrition can affect shedding, but with some attention they can be minimized.

Good grooming habits are key to minimizing pet hair and dander build up not only throughout your home, but your furnace filter as well. Some breeds may require visits to a groomer, but for all breeds regular brushing with the right brush is important.

Good Housekeeping

Keeping your pets well-groomed is very important, however practicing good housekeeping is also necessary for keeping part hair and dander at bay and from clogging your furnace. For instance, regularly vacuuming carpets, furniture and upholstery will do wonders for protecting your furnace. Ideally use a vacuum that is made specifically for removing pet hair and one with a HEPA filter to maximize the cleaning capabilities while minimizing the amount of dander and dust lets back into your home's air.

Take Care of Your Air Filter

Keep a regular schedule for checking and replacing your furnace's filter. The air filter is the first line of defense for your furnace, keeping harmful particles such as pet hair and dander from building up inside your furnace and evaporator coil. After some time continuously filtering the air going in to your furnace picking up dust, pet hair and dander the filter becomes dirty and needs replaced.

A dirty filter will only get dirtier with time if not replaced. The dirtier the filter the more it restricts the airflow of the furnace. Restriction of airflow not only robs your home of comfort, but puts unnecessary strain on your furnace. Reduction of airflow can cause your furnace to shut down when you need it most and reduce the life of the unit. Keep this from happening by keeping a regular schedule with your furnace filter checks.

Select the Right Filter

To keep pet hair, dander and dust from harming your furnace select the right furnace filter. We suggest a good pleated filter to all of our customers with a MERV value ranging between 7 and 11. Most furnace filters come in the one inch and two inch variety, however for homes that have greater need for increased filtering Bryant offers three inch and electronic filter systems as well. If you can see clearly through your filter it's not protecting your furnace. On the other hand if you select a filter with a much higher MERV value without consulting your friendly heating and air technician you could be damaging your furnace more than you are helping your air quality.

For more tips on protecting your HVAC system contact us at Bryant today. We're happy to offer tips for keeping your heating and cooling system running at peak performance.