Your Pets And Your HVAC System

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When you own pets, there are often a lot of steps you have to take around your home to pet-proof various areas of concern. Your heating and cooling system is one more important system in your house that needs a bit of extra protection and forethought when you own pets. Here are some of the things you are going to want to do or to make sure are already done.

Watch your outdoor wiring

If you have a central HVAC system, then you have a compressor and housing unit outside. If the unit is on the ground instead of on the roof, look for exposed wires. If you see some, then they are in your dog's domain. This means the dog will feel it is okay to chew on those wires all it wants.  

You can run a slice lengthwise down PVC pipe, slip it over the wires and then give it a dose of spray made for dogs to prevent them from wanting to chew in things, such as Bitter Apple spray.

Don't let the compressor become a fire hydrant

Along with feeling free to chew on whatever it wants in the yard, your dog will also urinate wherever it sees fit. Dogs often prefer to urinate in certain spots such as on trees, on plastic items, on fences, and on metal structures; such as fire hydrants. This makes the housing of your HVAC compressor an appealing spot for your dog to want to urinate.

The problem with this is the compressor housing unit will have vents in it that allow for air circulation. This means urine can get inside the housing and after time, the build-up of urine can cause issues such as erosion on the fins that can cause larger problems like leaks that can end up costing more money to have repaired. It can be extremely difficult to teach your dog not to urinate where they already want to. Therefore, a better idea for protecting the compressor is to put up a small fence around it.

Clean the air filter more than normal

When you have cats, dogs, or even birds in your home then you are going to want to compensate for the extra dust, fur, and even bird food dust by cleaning your air filter more often than if there were no pets inside of the house.

Conclusion

Whether your pets have caused HVAC issues, or problems just came about, don't put them off. Getting a tech out quick can fix little problems before big ones are caused.

Contact a service, like Vacinek Plumbing Heating & Roofing, for more help.


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