February 23, 2017
Ever wonder why your home is always dusty?
Your home’s heating/cooling system may be partly to blame.
Here are 4 hidden reasons why your home is too dusty:
Let’s go into more detail about each of these reasons—and how you can change them—to have a dust-free home.
Bad air filters have a MERV (Media Efficiency Rating Value) rating less than 8. These inefficient air filters are not able to filter out smaller indoor pollutants like mold spores and pollen.
But even a filter with a high MERV rating (8+) won’t help you dust if it’s dirty (see image below).
Clean filter (left) next to a dirty filter (right).
So that’s why we recommend checking your air filter every month. Doing so will allow you to to keep an eye on the filter and change it as needed. Doing so allows the filter to pick up more dust before it gets inside your home. It also prevents your A/C from overworking itself.
In fact, 44% of our service calls are a result of lack of regular maintenance or timely filter replacement. So, you’ll save money in the long run if you get the right kind of air filter and you change it regularly.
A good, clean air filter is also important for #2.
Your A/C unit actually helps you dust your home with an easy thermostat trick: switching your thermostat’s fan setting from “AUTO” to “ON” while you dust.
In the “ON” position, your A/C’s blower circulates air constantly throughout your home (even when your home does not need cooling). So, when you dust your home, those airborne dust particles will get sucked up through the system’s return vent and removed through the air filters (which should be changed regularly—see the previous section).
IMPORTANT: When you’re done dusting, turn your thermostat back to “AUTO” so that the A/C’s blower doesn’t run continuously. That way, you won’t waste a ton of energy and increase your home’s humidity level.
While this tip will help you dust, the dusting will never end if you have leaky air ducts (read the next section).
According to energystar.gov, about 20 to 30 percent of a typical home’s duct system is leaky.
And because air ducts are located in naturally dirty places (attics, behind walls), duct leaks will suck in dust, causing your A/C to blow dust all throughout your home. For example, this is how your A/C circulates dust if you have leaky air duct in your attic:
A leak in the attic (near the return air duct)
To prevent dust being blown into your home, you should hire an HVAC professional to inspect your home for duct leaks.
When they find a leak, they’ll seal it with mastic or special types of duct tape so that unconditioned air can’t enter or leave the duct.
On average, duct sealing takes about 4 hours (1 hour for the sealing, 3 hours for diagnosis and set-up/take down). You can be in the home while a professional seals your ducts.
Contact Cool Today to schedule an appointment with a trusted professional. We can find the right air quality solutions for your home.
Posted in: Tips