Indoor Air Quality for Homes with Pets

Pets are a part of your family, and allowing them to move freely in your home is essential to their well-being. When accounting for your indoor air quality, you need to take into consideration the contribution your furry companions make when it comes to burdensome airborne particles. Just as humans shed skin cells that contribute to dust, animals shed pet dander. Your pets shed fur and can bring dirt and other pollutants into your home from the outdoors, so it’s important that you take steps to protect your indoor air quality. Signs of Poor Indoor Air Quality If you’re experiencing allergy-like symptoms such as shortness of breath and watery eyes, these may be due to poor indoor air quality. A lot of these reactions may not be apparent until well after your pet has joined your family, so don’t be too quick to rule out their presence as a likely cause. There’s no need to worry, though. Unless there is a pathological cause for these symptoms, there are a few actions you can take to alleviate the effects your pet has on your indoor air quality. Here are a few. Vacuum Regularly Vacuuming at least twice a week will ensure...

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Are Expensive Air Conditioning Filters Worth It?

Air conditioning filters are essential in filtering out dust, mold spores, fine dirt particles and bacteria and viruses. Dirt particles and particulates can jam up the ac system choking off the airflow leading to a decreased lifespan of the blower motor and expensive repairs. Your family’s health can be adversely affected by airborne pet dander, smoke, and contaminants especially for those with severe allergies, respiratory illnesses, asthma and hay fever. High Efficiency Particulate Arrestance (HEPA) air conditioning filters are more expensive than disposable spun fiberglass filters but are much more efficient at trapping those airborne entities which can make you and your family ill. HEPA Filters are More Expensive but Worth it Air filters remove various sized particles and particulates before the air flows through the blower and into the home. HEPA filters filter out fine particles and usually are free of maintenance twice as long as cheaper filters which only last for a few months. HEPA filters have a much higher minimum efficiency reporting value (MERV) which means they are much more efficient at filtering particles with each pass through the system. For example, inexpensive spun fiberglass air conditioning filters have a MERV rating of from 1 to 4...

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