Cleaning Your HVAC System

Posted on: 26 August 2015

Whether you already have pets or are considering a furry addition to the family, it's important that you thoroughly understand the impact your fuzzy friends will have on your HVAC system. Below is an overview of how pet hair and dander are able to build up within the system, ways in which they can be harmful, and how these harms can be greatly reduced from the very start.  

How Pet Hair Builds Up Over Time

If you own a pet, you know that pet hair gets everywhere. From furry little tumbleweeds in your living room corners to clumps that transfer from furniture to your clothes, it can seem impossible at times to contain the fuzz.

Similar to the buildup of fur and dander in your home, it can also build up in your HVAC system. With a forced air system, air isn't only forced into and throughout your home, but also sucked back in the system. Through filters and vents, the excess fur, dust, and dander will quickly build up, sticking to the fans and motors that are the heart of your system.

What This Buildup Can Do to Your System

Like any blockage, fur and dander buildup can cause significant harm to your heating and cooling system, leaving you to deal with higher bills as you push your system to its limits.

Over time, if not properly cleared from the filters, ducts, motors, and fans, this buildup can cause your system to work harder with less results, as less air can enter and exit the system and the air that does is severely tainted by the irritants. If you have pets, you may want to consider changing air filters and cleaning motors, fans, and ductwork more frequently. While these things can work in the short term, there are other ways to prevent the buildup from getting so bad in the first place.

How Duct Sealing Can Prevent Significant Buildup in the Future for Cleaner, Fresher Air

While a bit of buildup is normal, no matter how much you work to decrease the fur and dander floating throughout your home, it's important to keep the systems as clear as possible for maximum efficiency.

Changing the filters in your system is one of the easiest ways to deal with the aftermath of the collection of fur, dander, and other debris, but there's a way to significantly decrease the amount of fur, dust, and other irritants even entering into your system, and that's by proper sealing of the ducts. Proper sealing can not only decrease your energy bill, but it can also offer you better air quality and more comfort. It can be easy for ducts to develop kinks, holes, and poor connections over time, which can contribute to the excess buildup within your system.  

While there are many things you can do to deal with the aftermath of pet fur and dander within your HVAC system, such as frequent cleaning of the filters, motors, fans, and ducts, you can significantly decrease the buildup by ensuring that less fur is able to enter to begin with. To learn more about duct sealing and how this can improve the air quality of your home, contact a professional HVAC contractor, such as Streamline Services, Inc., for a consultation.