Although we can sometimes see larger particulates like dust flying through the air, poor air quality resulting from a variety of sources isn’t always visible. Better-fitting windows and doors and more insulation result in tight building envelopes that allow for fewer exchanges of outdoor and indoor air. This move toward energy efficiency contributes to poor indoor air quality. Unfortunately, having pets increases the chance of poor indoor air quality. Instead of giving up your wish to have a furry friend, you can do several things to ensure your family and pet can breathe easily inside your home.
What Causes Poor Indoor Air Quality?
Many different substances impact indoor air quality. These include:
- Particulates, carbon monoxide, radon and volatile organic compounds (VOCs)
- Fungi, mold, pollen and other allergens
- Emissions from stoves, ovens and gas furnaces
- Cleaning chemicals and pesticides
- Smoke from tobacco and wood-burning fires
- Emissions from asbestos, lead, formaldehyde and pressed wood products
- Animal hair and dander
How Animals Contribute to Poor Indoor Air Quality
About two-thirds of American households have a pet, with most of those belonging to the class of furry friends. While your feathered friend, lizard or fish won’t negatively affect indoor air quality, your four-legged friend will in the following ways:
- Dander – Animals with fur shed microscopic flecks of skin.
- Hair and fur – These can accumulate on surfaces and remain suspended in the air.
- Odors – Animals bring in outdoor smells or produce odors that linger.
- Bacteria and viruses – Pets carry microorganisms that can affect health.
Having a furry friend involves extra cleaning chores, as pet hair and fur can contribute to dust and dirt buildup. Besides tracking in outside dirt, pets present a challenge for people with allergies and asthma. However, the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America indicates that many homeowners are willing to deal with various allergy symptoms.
Pet dander is composed of tiny flakes of skin that slough off your pet’s body, similar to how humans shed their skin cells. Saliva often accompanies dander, which can trigger allergy symptoms. Although fur is easy to see, dander is so tiny it can remain suspended in the air and circulate through the HVAC system. Removing dander is vital to easing indoor allergy symptoms.
Decreasing Your Pet’s Influence on Indoor Air Quality
The Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America (AAFA) offers several recommendations on how homeowners can mitigate pet dander and hair in their homes. Consider implementing the following measures:
- Keep your pet out of bedrooms
- Scrub surfaces often
- Regularly steam clean carpeting
- Use a vacuum with a HEPA filter
- Change and wash clothes frequently
Clean Your Home and Pet Regularly
Cleaning is a prime method of keeping allergens at bay. Prioritize vacuuming, mopping and dusting to eliminate pet hair and dander. Use a vacuum with a HEPA (high-efficiency particulate air) filter to trap and remove allergens from your environment. Wash your furry friend as often as possible. When you don’t wash your furry friend, take them outdoors for a thorough brushing.
Establish Pet-Free Zones
In addition to keeping pets out of bedrooms, establish pet-free zones in your home. These can help limit the areas where pet fur and dander accumulate.
Commercial Solutions to Mitigate Pet Air Quality Programs
Investing in commercial air cleaning solutions can augment your cleaning efforts at home to mitigate the effect your pets have on indoor air quality. Consider one or more of the following.
Upgrade to a More Efficient HVAC Air Filter
As heated or cooled air circulates in your home, the air filter removes particles that pass through it. However, air filters don’t trap all undesirable particles. Most homeowners have MERV 8 air filters. Consider upgrading to a MERV 13 air filter if you have allergies or asthma. These high-efficiency filters capture mold, viruses, bacteria and other air pollutants in addition to pet dander. Selecting the right filter can make the difference between allergy attacks and fewer pet dander particles in your home.
You should change your air filter at least every 60 days, but if you have pets, increase that frequency to every 30 to 45 days. Changing the filter more frequently will also allow the filter to trap more particles.
Whole-Home Air Purifiers
Investing in a whole-home air purifier with a HEPA filter can significantly improve your indoor air quality. They are many times more effective than HVAC filters at cleaning interior air. These devices can remove up to 99.98% of all airborne particles, including pet dander, mold spores, pollen, bacteria, viruses and more, without overly restricting airflow. An air purifier can be the ideal solution for pet owners struggling with living with their furry friends. By almost completely removing pet dander, you’re left with clean air without allergen triggers.
Indoor Air Quality Monitors
These devices won’t remove indoor allergens, but they will help you monitor levels so you can take action. An indoor monitoring system will detect elevated moisture and humidity, which allows old bacteria to thrive. When combined with pet dander, these undesirable particles can make life indoors miserable. Indoor air quality monitors alert you to elevated levels of allergens, allowing you to take action.
Get Regular HVAC Maintenance
In addition to regularly changing your air filter, annual HVAC maintenance is essential. Allergens tend to accumulate on various HVAC components, and annual maintenance cleans areas where these particles congregate. Another task that homeowners don’t think of frequently is air duct cleaning. Allergens, pet hair and dander stick to the metal surfaces of air ducts in forced air systems, sometimes loosening during system operation. Although you don’t have to clean air ducts annually, consider getting the service every few years to improve indoor air quality.
Proper Ventilation
Open windows whenever possible, even in winter, to allow outdoor air currents to cleanse the air inside your home. Use exhaust fans to remove dust and VOCs when cooking and performing renovation tasks. The professionals at TCS Heating and Air Conditioning will gladly provide you with advice on mechanical means to augment your current home ventilation.
Benefit From TCS Heating and Air Conditioning‘s Experience and Services
TCS Heating and Air Conditioning is an experienced full-service indoor comfort provider serving New Britain, Doylestown and nearby communities in Pennsylvania. Our family-owned business has provided a wide range of heating, air conditioning and indoor air quality services since 1976.
You can look to our technicians for heating and air conditioning repair, maintenance and installation as well as cutting-edge comfort solutions like heat pumps, ductless heating and air conditioning, and HVAC zoning. Our services also include boiler repair, maintenance and installation, ductwork services and indoor air quality solutions. We offer 24/7 emergency service for your convenience and access to financing.
If you want an HVAC company that can do it all, trust TCS Heating and Air Conditioning. Contact our office today to schedule your service or consultation.
