Home Comfort in the Dog Days of Summer: AC Tips for Pet Owners. We owe it to our furry family members to keep them, ourselves, and our homes healthy, comfortable, and cool. While pets bring a lot of joy and companionship to our lives, the fur, dander, and dust that come with them can reduce indoor air quality and put a strain on your cooling system. But, with some planning, preparation, good decisions, and honest advice from your St. Louis HVAC contractor, you can keep your home cool and comfortable for both you and your pets. SmartHouse Heating & Cooling specializes in providing St. Louis residents with reliable, trustworthy, and customized home comfort solutions. Read on for useful AC tips for pet owners, or call SmartHouse at 314-648-3162 or contact us online to discuss your cooling needs further.
Regular grooming of your pets not only keeps them clean and comfortable but also helps to reduce shedding. The less hair your pet sheds, the less it gets spread around your home and into your AC system. Moreover, regular cleaning of your home, including vacuuming and dusting, can also prevent your air filters from getting clogged with pet hair and dander.
The air filters in your HVAC system are designed to trap pet hair, dust, and other particles that can cause allergies and respiratory issues. To ensure your air filters work effectively, replace or clean them regularly. Filters should be checked every month and changed every 30-90 days as needed. Pet owners need to be extra vigilant. This will help maintain a clean indoor air quality.
Getting high-quality air filters is one of the best things you can do to protect your home comfort, AC system, and your pets. High-quality filters can trap smaller particles, including pet dander, which can cause allergy and respiratory issues in your home. Look for filters with a high MERV (Minimum Efficiency Reporting Value) rating, which measures a filter’s ability to capture airborne particles.
An air purifier can help to remove airborne particles from the air. This can be especially useful if you or someone in your home has allergies or asthma that are exacerbated by pets. A whole home air purifier can keep the air cleaner throughout your home, regardless of where your pet sleeps, plays, and wanders off to.
If your pet has thick fur and sheds a lot in the summer, their hair can build up in your HVAC system’s ductwork. This can cause blockages and reduce airflow, leading to higher energy bills and decreased indoor air quality. It may be worth it to get your ducts cleaned every few years if your pet sheds a lot.
Generally, pets can handle a greater temperature range than what humans need to feel comfortable. When you’re not at home, you can turn your thermostat up a little bit to conserve energy and offset the higher cooling costs summer brings. Some animals (or breeds, like huskies) have unique climate needs, so it’s important to understand what a tolerable temperature is for your pet before letting the indoor temperature rise a few more degrees.
Outdoor pets enjoy the freedom to roam where they please, and most homeowners could probably do without their pet meowing or scraping at the door each time they want to go out. However, you can’t cool the outdoors. Leaving a door open makes your AC fight to maintain a consistent and comfortable temperature. If it’s extremely hot outside, your AC might keep running without ever reaching the desired temperature. It’s best to keep your doors closed during the summer. If you have a pet door, make sure it closes all the way as your pet comes in and out.
Make sure to fence off your outdoor unit to prevent your outdoor pets from urinating on it or chewing on the wires. This can cause damage to your AC system and even pose a safety hazard for your pets.
Your AC system needs to be maintained to ensure it can reliably cool and dehumidify your home while filtering out allergens. Scheduling an AC tune-up will keep your unit at peak performance and reduce the chances of an unexpected failure.
Keeping your pet comfortable in hot weather involves a lot more than getting your home’s cooling system to peak performance. Here are some non-AC related tips to help your pet feel comfortable in the summer months:
Our fluffy family members bring a lot to our lives, and we owe it to them and ourselves to keep our St. Louis homes as comfortable as possible. At SmartHouse, we customize our services for each homeowner and their home. Our AC services include everything from helping you choose a good smart thermostat to an entirely new AC installation. For any of your or your pets’ home cooling needs in St. Louis, call SmartHouse today at 314-648-3162, text us at 314-310-2242, or schedule your service online.
