You’ve made your home a safe place for your family, friends, and guests. But are you inadvertently welcoming in bugs, rats, and squirrels too? HVAC units are warm and danger-free places for critters to live. But, once pests move in, you’ll be saddled with terrible odors and expensive repairs.
If you want to know how to prevent pests in your HVAC unit, you’ve come to the right place. The experts at Action Air are here to share their best tricks for pest-proofing your AC system.
Why You Should Pest-Proof Your HVAC System
Having bugs and rodents anywhere near your home is an unsettling thought. But other than putting your mind at ease, why should you pest-proof your HVAC system? Here are some reasons.
- Damage – Pests will damage not only your HVAC system, but also your home. When they nest, eat, and burrow they destroy your HVAC unit, and could do the same to your walls and roof. Even the smallest invaders cause hundreds of dollars-worth of damage to AC equipment.
- Odor – If pests have moved in, so have their dander and droppings. Soon after pests enter your HVAC system, the smell of their hair, droppings, and meals will filter into your home. The odor and particulates will harm your indoor air quality and worsen allergy and asthma symptoms.
How to Prevent Pests in Your HVAC Unit
- Fill Gaps and Cracks
If you want to prevent pests from making a home in your HVAC unit, you have to reduce the available points of entry. There are cracks and gaps all over your home. To be clear, some cracks and gaps are necessary as they aid in ventilation. However, too many spaces give pests easy entry. If you are concerned pests will take advantage of the gaps near your AC equipment, call an HVAC professional. They will seal the cracks and prevent entry.
- Check Your Ductwork
As you well know, HVAC equipment isn’t indestructible. Overtime, your ductwork develops tears, gaps, loose joints, and rust –all access points for pests. Faulty ductwork is best fixed by a professional.
- Control Vegetation
It’s no secret: bugs and rats like to eat plants. Cutting back the plants around your HVAC unit will make it a less enticing area for pests. The best practice is to keep two feet around your HVAC unit absolutely clear of plants.
- Install Screens
Ever wonder how small critters like spiders and flies get into your home, even when you are careful about keeping doors to the outside closed? It’s likely through air vents. You can put screens behind your air vents to turn back bugs trying to enter your home.
- Clean Your Air Conditioning Condenser
Yet another great way to discourage pests from making your AC unit home is by regularly cleaning it. Simply scrubbing the unit with warm water and soap and removing debris from its perimeter will make the area less habitable.
For an extra layer of protection, spray the base of the unit with pest repellants.
Need help pest-proofing your HVAC unit? Call us today!
Your home should be for your friends and family, not rats and spiders. If you need pest-proofing solutions, call Action Air. We are a locally owned and operated HVAC company that has served the Indianapolis area since 1986. Call us at 317-451-4371 or schedule your appointment online.
