How to Prevent and Treat Animal Damage to Your HVAC

Animals can cause a tremendous amount of damage to your HVAC system if you’re not careful. Mice, rats, squirrels, and other wildlife might target your outdoor unit or your ducts while they search for warm areas to spend the winter. Use the following tips to help you prevent and treat animal damage this season.

Ductwork Problems

Animals that get into your ducts don’t just spend their time scurrying around — They often chew through ductwork, which can cause significant damage to it. If the damage is severe enough, you’ll need to have the affected ductwork replaced. Animals might also die inside ductwork, especially if they’re sick or stuck. This can create a health hazard in addition to causing your home to have a foul odor.

You can prevent animal damage in ductwork by making sure that there are no gaps or openings that animals can squeeze through. Have an HVAC technician inspect your ducts to check for these entry points. If you have damage already, it’s best to contact a professional HVAC technician to repair it. If you have a dead animal in your ducts, have a professional duct cleaning team remove it and disinfect the area.

Outdoor Unit Problems

Birds, mice, and other outdoor animals might find your outdoor HVAC unit a warm place to be during winter. If they get into your unit, they can end up damaging the components inside it, which can result in expensive repairs. If the damage to these components is serious enough, you might even need to replace your system.

You can prevent animals from getting into your outdoor unit by having an HVAC technician inspect it for possible entry points and seal them up. If you think you might have animals inside your outdoor HVAC unit, a technician can check it for you. While you might need professional pest control to remove the animals safely, an HVAC technician can make repairs afterwards.

If your HVAC system has animal damage and you need repairs, please contact Energy 1 Heating & Air Conditioning. We offer dependable services for heating and cooling systems in the Lorain area.

Our goal is to help educate our customers in Lorain, Ohio about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). For more information about HVAC repairs and other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Guide or call us at 440-201-2959.