Keeping the Pests Away
No one wants to deal with a pest infestation in their home. These unwanted creatures find their way into nooks and crannies and wreak havoc on different parts of houses, including your HVAC system.
Read on to learn which pests are most commonly found infesting HVAC systems, as well as how to protect your unit from them.
Which Pests Damage Your System?
There are a number of different insects and rodents that love to find their way into your home to damage your HVAC, including:
- Mice
- Rats
- Cockroaches
- Ants
- Raccoons
Each critter causes their own host of problems for your system. Mice and rats will chew through anything, including your wiring and insulation. Cockroaches will nest and make irritating noises. Ants are small but mighty and could easily cause a condenser breakdown. Finally, all of these pests pose a threat to your family’s health thanks to the germs and bacteria they carry.
How Do I Pest-Proof My Unit?
To avoid getting your family sick, or potentially causing an HVAC failure, here are 3 ways you can pest-proof your unit.
Proper Sealing
Pests have the ability to find the weak points in your home and squeeze in however they can. One of the best ways to keep pests out of your home is to properly seal off as many entry points as you can, no matter how small. This includes properly sealing vents, flues, windows, and doors. Bonus: a tightly sealed home is an energy efficient home!
Professional Inspections
Your HVAC professional is trained to recognize the signs of a pest infestation inside your unit, meaning regular inspections and maintenance is an essential component of pest-control. Not only will the technician provide you with the next steps to take in order to rid yourself of infestation, they will also tighten your ducts and tune-up your unit to help avoid this problem in the future.
Maintaining a Clean Home
Keeping your home clean is another way to help keep pests away. Bugs and rodents will go where there is food, so leave no crumb or scrap un-swept! If you notice critter droppings around your unit or vents, be sure to clean them up right away. If a new group of mice were to see excess droppings in your home, they may assume this is a safe space for them as well!
Ready to schedule your next HVAC maintenance appointment? Give Air Care & Canyon Lake Air Conditioning a call at (210) 794-6859 to get started!