Nobody wants to deal with a pest infestation. They cost time, money, and pace of mind. They’re gross. They’re stressful. They’re also more preventable than you might realize. All you need is a few expert tips and a small amount of preventative effort.

Pests come into your home for one of three main reasons: they’re seeking shelter, they’re seeking food, or they’re seeking water. Cutting off their access to these things is your quickest path to keeping them outside of your home. There are a few areas of your home that more readily offer these things than others. Namely: bathrooms, basements, attics, and… your home’s heating, ventilation, and cooling systems. Your HVAC offers places to hide and moisture in spades, so it’s a big target for potential infestations and one of the first places you should address if you’re attempting preventative measures.

In today’s post, we’re going to focus specifically on those preventative measures and guide you through how to protect your home’s HVAC from pest infestation.

Do a thorough walkthrough of your home.

This step doesn’t relate to only your HVAC, but it’s a critical part of any pest prevention plan. It’s going to give you a good baseline knowledge of your home and whether or not there are any problem areas. After all, if pests can get in easily, they’re far more likely to hide and proliferate throughout your HVAC system. Here’s what to look for:

• Check for any gaps or cracks in your walls. 
• Look at your doors and windows, especially around the frames. See if any seals are loose or crumbling.
• Look at any screens you have on windows. Are there tears or holes in any of them? 
• Give your home’s plumbing a once over. Look underneath sinks for hidden leaks. Check on the connection points where water enters your home to make sure the seals are tight. 

If, when doing this walkthrough, you notice any problems like the ones listed, repair them as soon as possible. Even if the problems are small when you first notice them, if you don’t repair them quickly they can grow far larger. Now that you have your basic home preventative action complete, it’s time to move on to the HVAC system itself.

Get your ducts cleaned.

If you can’t remember the last time you cleaned your ducts, it’s been too long. Your air ducts are a highway to every point in your home. If pests get into them, pests can then get anywhere. Regular duct cleaning and inspection is key for anyone who is worried about pest problems. You can clean your ducts yourself, but it will never be as successful as a professional cleaning because the average person doesn’t have the same high-powered vacuums and rotary brush cleaners that professional teams have. Our recommendation is to get in touch with a team that can professionally inspect and clean your ducts. They’ll be able to not only remove any existing mold, dust, or debris, but they’ll also be capable of fixing any loose seals that could introduce future pests.

Don’t forget about maintaining outdoor units.

Your home’s HVAC doesn’t only exist inside your home. Case in point: your air conditioning condenser is a frequent target of pest problems, especially small rodents like mice and rats. This is because it’s located outside, processes moisture, and is frequently left alone after installation. Here’s what you can do to protect it:

• Keep the area surrounding your condenser cleared. Any built up debris, firewood, or similar outdoor ephemera can be a hiding place for pests. Pests will wait in this untidiness until they can make the jump to your unit and then, your home. If there is nowhere nearby for them to hide, they’re less likely to breach. 
• Every few months, give your condenser a bath. All you need to do is use mild dish soap (like Dawn) and a rag to scrub the exterior of the unit. It’s just another step toward keeping any pest draws away. Pests love filth, so keep things clean. If you have a DIY home checklist, write this down as something to do every three months or so.

Get exterior flue and vent covers installed. 

Exterior vents are a popular entry point as well. These can be found attached to your attic, dryer, or soffit. Make sure you’re investing in covers, especially flues, that are pest-proof. Small rodents are capable of using their sneaky little paws to pull some covers off if they’re not secured.

Like shown in this post, there are plenty of small steps you can take to protect your home’s HVAC systems from pest infestations. Keeping your ductwork clean and clear is one of the main ones. While there are things you can do yourself to keep ducts clean, it’s recommended to get help from professionals like the team at Welter Heating.