Blog

Is HVAC Filtration Good For Pet Hair/Dander

It’s common for homes in O’Fallon, MO, to have pets such as dogs and cats. While these beloved creatures are part of your family, they can irritate allergies. If you’re someone who suffers from allergies because of your furry family members, this doesn’t mean you need to find them a new home. HVAC filtration is one method that you can use to improve your indoor air quality when you have pets.

How Does HVAC Filtration Work?

When your HVAC system is turned on and is running, air will be drawn in, and then, it will be climate controlled. Then, the air passes through a series of ducts before it circulates through the various rooms in your home. Just before the air passes through the blower, it will move through a filter. There are different filters available along with other air purification equipment that can further improve indoor air quality.

Air Purification

You’ve probably seen those stand-alone air purification units that can be moved from one room to another. You may even have one in your home already. While they can be relatively useful for removing pet hair and dander from the air in your home, they aren’t necessarily the most effective or convenient option. They usually require you to clean a filter or plates every week or so. Also, they only cover a small amount of square footage. You can’t address your entire home when you’re using a stand-alone air purification unit. They can also take up space, and they can sometimes be in the way.

You have the option of having a whole-home air purifier installed on your HVAC equipment. This air purification solution will help clean the air that is passing through your system before it circulates through your ducts and into your home. It’s a highly effective and efficient way of maintaining optimal indoor air quality throughout the home when you have pets and suffer from allergies. There are various kinds of air purification units available for your HVAC system, and they contain the following features.

HEPA Filtration

HEPA filters are extremely effective for removing pet hair and dander from indoor air. Depending on the filter you choose, your HEPA filter may be able to remove particulates that are smaller than 0.3 microns in size. HEPA filters traditionally aren’t always used as a primary air filter because they require adequate power to move air through them. Most furnaces and air conditioners would experience strain if a whole-house air purifier weren’t present to promote adequate airflow.

UV-C Lights

Many whole-house purification units utilize UV-C lights to kill bacteria and other pathogens in the air. In addition to increasing allergies, pets can promote the spread of germs, which makes this an investment worth considering if you’re a pet owner. It’s also an excellent feature to have during cold and flu season.

Activated Carbon Filters

Your whole-home purification system may be equipped to work with an activated carbon filter. These filters are essential for homes with pets. They can remove odors very effectively. They also trap hair and dander like traditional filters do.

Electrostatic Plates

An air purifier may include electrostatic plates as part of its design. As particles pass through the system, they become electrostatically charged. Oppositely charged plates in the unit will attract the particles before they can be circulated into your ductwork and throughout your home. These plates provide easy maintenance, as you simply clean them every so often. There isn’t a need to replace filters on a regular basis. Electrostatic plates work very well to trap pet dander and hair.

Types of Filters

If you’re not ready to invest in a whole-house purification unit, you may want to consider the type of filter that you’re using in your HVAC system. Before you make a selection, you may want to touch base with an HVAC professional to ensure that the filter you’re considering will be compatible with your furnace and air conditioner. As mentioned, you don’t want to use a filter that will inhibit adequate air flow because it will put a considerable amount of strain on your system and can potentially lead to premature system failure.

Paper or Polyester Filters

The affordable and disposable filters that you often see on store shelves are made from paper or polyester. They last anywhere from 30 to 90 days, depending on your household situation. Many are marketed specifically toward homes with pets as they do an excellent job of removing pet hair and dander. You simply throw them away when it’s time to change them.

Some of these filters also contain activated carbon that helps to promote fresh indoor air in addition to trapping dander and pet hair.

Reusable Filters

Reusable filters cost a little bit more, but they can be kept inside your HVAC system for many months at a time. You periodically pull a reusable filter out, wash it, let it dry, and then put it back in the unit. Because there is a need for some drying time, you may want a couple of reusable filters so that you can keep your HVAC system running in the meantime. If you have pets, you may find that a reusable filter allows you the opportunity to clean your filter more frequently if it’s constantly experiencing a buildup of dander and hair. Changing your filter more frequently can protect the integrity of your HVAC system by keeping interior components clean. This can lead to fewer repairs over the lifetime of your equipment.

Choosing a Filter Based on Its MERV Rating

Minimum efficiency rating value, MERV, is a classification that is used to explain how effective an air filter is. The higher the MERV rating of a filter, the more hair, dander, and particulates that it will be able to trap. You don’t want to immediately select the highest-rated MERV filter that you can find. Rather, refer to your HVAC owner’s manual to figure out the types that are compatible with your system. Most HVAC systems do well with a filter that is rated between 8 and 13 MERV. This is also effective enough to remove contaminants as small as 0.3 microns in size. Some can remove particles that are even smaller than that.

Call Us to Get Help With Comfort and Breathe Easy

If you would like to learn more about the many ways that you can use your HVAC system to remove pet dander and hair from the air in your home, reach out to the team here at Hoff Heating & AC. We can perform an indoor air quality assessment to see where you stand. Upon completing our assessment, we’ll make recommendations for ways that you can improve your indoor air quality whether it’s with different filters, a whole-house filtration system, additional ventilation, etc.

We also offer the installation of new heating and cooling equipment, repair services, and routine maintenance. Give Hoff Heating & AC a call today to schedule an appointment in the O’Fallon area.