Having pets is wonderful, for the most part. The added maintenance that you have to do to repair chewed shoes and scratched furniture might not be so nice, but overall, your pet is a good addition to your family. However, your pet can also cause issues for your air conditioning system in more ways than one. Many people concentrate on keeping their pets safe in hot weather with the air conditioner, but you should also look at keeping your air conditioner—and the techs who repair it—safe from your pets.

Filter Troubles

One of the more obvious problems that pets can cause for air conditioners is the addition of lots of fur and dander clogging up the filter. The amount of fur and dander varies from pet to pet, so put in a clean filter and check it every few days. Count the days until the filter is full and needs to be changed again, and mark cycles on a calendar so you remember. If you leave a clogged filter in the air conditioner, the airflow through the system will not be very efficient, and the compressor may end up working harder.

Exterior Equipment Damage

If your pets spend any time outdoors, or if your neighbors' pets spend any time in your yard, protect the air conditioning compressor (if you have a system that requires outdoor equipment). Pet urine and fur, if the pets jump up on the equipment, can damage the motor. An air conditioning repair company should be able to install a protective cover, but you also need to train your pets to stay away from the device.

Pets and the Maintenance Techs

And then there's the human factor. Jumpy pets need to be kept away from areas where air conditioning techs need to go to do the repairs. You do not want your pet biting or scratching a repair tech because the pet got scared. Plus, even if the pet is friendly and calm, it could eat a part that the tech set on the ground, such as a piece of filter material. It's best to keep the pet confined to a room in the house as the tech completes the work.

Air Purifiers Only Shift the Problem

Sometimes you'll see advice to get an air purifier to help pull dander and fur out of the air, thus letting the air conditioning filter last a little longer. While an air purifier would prevent a lot of the contaminants from reaching the air conditioning filter, it really just shifts the problem because you'd end up having to change the purifier's filter more often. Sometimes, those specialized purifier filters can cost more and be harder to find than generic air conditioning filters. You'd basically trade one problem for the same problem in another part of the room.

Before an air conditioner repair tech comes over to do any work, warn the company about your pet and place the pet in a room. Have a supply of spare filters at the ready, and get outdoor equipment protected. The tech will be able to tell you if there is anything else you can do to protect the system from pet-related issues.

For more information on air conditioning repair and maintenance, contact a company like Getzschman Heating, LLC.