Cats are funny and fun to watch and cuddle to, but could they be hurting the life span of your furnace? The quick answer is Yes! Unfortunately, a cat’s litter box is not furnace friendly.
If you have a cat, then you know that each time you change their litter box you are met with a plume of dust emptying and adding litter to the box. This dust can become caked onto your furnace’s flame sensor and burners, causing your furnace to either run at sub-optimal levels or not start at all. Litter dust also lowers the quality of air that you breathe.
Because getting rid of your cat is not an option, we decided to give you some tips on ways to ensure that your furnace is not affected and your air quality is better.
Don’t place the cat’s litter box close to the furnace!
When the litter box is too close, much of the dust and odor can be sucked up into your furnace and travel throughout the ductwork in your home. Not only does this make your furnace and duct work dirty, the air quality circulated throughout your home is bad. The last thing you want is the odor from your cat’s litter box taking over your home by traveling through every air vent in your home.
Another problem with keeping your cat’s litter box too close to your furnace is corroded ductwork. Even if your cat is very tidy, the smallest about of cat urine over time on the metal each day can cause corrosion. Many times, homeowners have to replace the sheet metal around their furnace before it rusts all the way through causing duct leakage. Duct leakage leads to higher utility bills.
Our best advice, move the litter box away from your furnace. If the room where your furnace is located is the only option for your cat’s litter box, move it to the farthest corner from your furnace. Having annual maintenance performed on your system will also aide in keeping your equipment running at peak performance and even catching small problems before they turn into big problems!
If you would like to schedule an appointment with a 72 Degrees technician, call 515-965-7272 or email us at office@72degrees.com