One of the biggest struggles that pet owners have with respect to their homes is their indoor air quality. Airborne contaminants, like pet dander, can take a toll on the quality of your indoor air. Fortunately, we’re going to reveal some of our best strategies to help improve the quality of air inside your home, no matter how many loveable pets you have.
Duct Cleaning Service
One of the best places to start is with your ductwork. Over time, pet hair will get pulled into your ducting through the various return vents throughout your home. Pet hair will accumulate inside your ducting and restrict airflow through it. This will not only make your HVAC system work much harder, but the ability of your HVAC filter to trap airborne contaminants will be significantly reduced. Investing in professional duct cleaning services every few years is a great way to remove that built-up debris and ensure optimal filtering for your HVAC system.
High-Rated MERV Filter
Your HVAC system has a built-in air filter that’s responsible for trapping unwanted airborne contaminants to enhance your indoor air quality level. Unfortunately, if you invest in a filter with a low MERV (Minimum Efficiency Reporting Value) rating, it isn’t going to be capable of trapping a large majority of airborne toxins. Consider investing in an HVAC filter with a MERV rating of at least 10. This rating will ensure that your filter is capable of trapping both large and small airborne particles to adequately enhance your indoor air quality level. Just ensure you’re regularly changing air filters for optimal performance.
Air Purification System
If you want to take it a step further, you can invest in a whole-home air purification system. This gets installed directly inside your return ducting to treat expended air as it gets pulled back into your HVAC system. There are various options when it comes to purifiers. You can opt for a unit that has multiple air filters inside it, with each filter being effective at fixing a certain issue. For example, a carbon filter will effectively remove unpleasant odors. Or, you can opt for a unit with UVC germicidal lighting to disrupt the DNA of airborne toxins and render them unable to reproduce.
Whole-Home Dehumidifier
Because Maryland is situated on the East coast, it experiences a humid climate during the summer months. Unfortunately, this humidity can create a lot of problems when it gets trapped inside your home. For example, it can foster the growth of mold, mildew, and dust mites. A whole-home dehumidifier can be a great way to control this excess indoor humidity and get it back in check. Just like whole-home air purification systems, whole-home dehumidifiers get installed directly into your ducting so that air is treated as it naturally flows through your HVAC system.
Front Door Paw Cleaner
Your pet’s paws act as a transfer pad between unwelcome outdoor toxins and your home. If your pets come directly inside with unwashed paws, these toxins can get all over your floors, couches, beds, and any other surface that your pet climbs on. One of the best ways to help reduce the presence of these toxins is to simply have a system in place to clean your dog’s paws. This could be a simple mud mat at the entryway or a newer paw scrubber cup that you put each paw into. Just do your best to get rid of the items they’re tracking into your home so your HVAC system doesn’t have to try and remove them from your air.
Bonus Tip! Wash Your Pet’s Items Regularly
Most pets aren’t going to complain that their bed is dirty or smells a little funky. In fact, most dogs love the mess. As a pet owner, it can be very easy to forget about washing your pet’s items, like their beds, blankets, and plush toys. However, these items tend to harbor unpleasant airborne toxins, like dust mites and pet dander. Do yourself a favor and make it a habit to wash your pet’s items on the same schedule that you would wash items like your clothes or bedsheets.
Reliable Indoor Air Quality Service
At Your Service Heating & Cooling LLC offers reliable indoor air quality service to homeowners throughout the entire Baltimore, MD area. We can help with all your heating, air conditioning, duct cleaning, duct sealing, backup generator, and commercial HVAC needs. Call us today to schedule your next service consultation.
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