Pets can bring families together but they can also make taking care of your home more difficult. Most who have pets in the home can attest to the need to vacuum, sweep, and dust more often, but have you considered the damage being done to your HVAC filter?

Your heating and air conditioning system’s filter is the home’s first defense when it comes to debris and allergens in the air. When pets are involved, these allergens increase thanks to pet dander and hair. 

Thankfully, changing your HVAC filter is a bit of routine maintenance you can do yourself. Homeowners normally do this every few months or with the changing of the seasons. However, when pets are involved, the frequency in which your filters are changed increases.

Let’s learn more about the havoc pets can wreak around the house if you don’t change your air filters often enough. This will help you filter out the funk and fight unwanted pet dander allergies in your home.

Why a Clean HVAC Filter is Important

When an HVAC system is working properly, it is often forgotten about. As long as the system is keeping a family warm when needed and cool in the summer months, life is good. It isn’t until problems occur that most people begin to take notice. The question is, what causes these issues?

Keeping your furnace clean not only promotes better air quality and fights allergens but also extends the life of your system. When the blower doesn’t need to overwork itself due to a clogged filter, things run smoothly and your system does its job.

If your filter stays dirty or clogged, unwanted debris and allergens, including pet dander, build up. Once this happens, you and your family are forced to breathe this lower quality of air. This is where your HVAC system can be attributed to respiratory problems and bad allergies.

How Often Should an Air Filter be Changed?

There are several factors that come into play when determining how often an air filter should be replaced. The number of people and pets in the home plays a huge part, but so does the type of filter you use.

As a basic rule, the smaller your home is and the fewer living beings occupying it, the less you need to change the filter. If you’re the only person bringing debris and allergens into the home, your air will stay fresher. When large families and pets live under the same roof, things get a bit more complicated.

Here’s a look at a basic HVAC filter replacement schedule that can help keep your home free of unwanted debris, allergens, and pet dander if followed: 

 

  • Single occupancy modern homes without pets: every 60 days
  • Typical family home without pets: every 30 – 45 days
  • Typical family home with a cat or dog: every 30 days
  • Multiple pets, allergy issues, high pollution: every 15 – 30 days

This maintenance schedule may not work for every situation but keeping it in mind can help you stay on top of your HVAC system’s needs and keep your home comfortable year-round.

The Types of Air Filters You Use

Anyone can run out to a local department store and grab an air filter for their system. Unfortunately, not every air filter is made the same. A basic air filter will struggle to keep your air quality intact when dealing with a large home, with several occupants and animals inside.

One of the best ways to feel better about your home’s HVAC system is to use a nanotechnology air filter. Also known as MERV-13 Residential Air Filters, this new wave of technology is designed to make breathing easier indoors. You’ll even find MERV-13 Commercial Air Filters used in schools and hospitals around the country.

These air filters catch the smallest viruses and are affordable for use all year long. With Covid-19 bringing more awareness to the viruses and allergies we breathe in, an air filter that offers protection for our families is the best choice when it comes to our homes and commercial buildings.

Fortunately, if you can’t find nanotechnology air filters in your hometown, they can be ordered online. Here at NanoAir Solutions, we provide quality MERV-13 Residential and Commercial air filters. You can even sign up for a monthly subscription to help avoid forgetting how often you should change your filter.

Other Ways to Fight Pet Dander at Home

If you change your air filter on a routine basis and still feel your pets are causing issues with your air quality or breathing, there are other tips to help breathe easier at home.

Keeping your home clean will help reduce the number of allergens in the air. If you have children or pets, this is most likely common knowledge. Still, daily cleaning will help reduce issues and promote a healthier HVAC system.

When the weather outside is nice, you could also consider grooming your pet outdoors. Brushing your dog or cat is great at eliminating unwanted dander, but taking them outside can alleviate the unwanted allergens floating in the air.

Cleaning your HVAC system also helps. If your system has gone years without proper cleaning, it’s time to schedule one. A professional HVAC team can come out to clean your unit, check the registers, and even clean the ductwork to help things out around the home or office.

Breathing Easier

If you’re ready to breathe easier around the house, feel free to contact us and learn more. We have a long line of HVAC filters in various sizes that are sure to work in your home. By using our nanotechnology air filters, you, your family, and your pets will be happier and healthier.