Why You Should Worry About Dust
3 common problems that excessive dust can cause in your home.
Are you fighting a never-ending battle against dust in your home? Do you clean one morning only to have a new layer of dust fuzzing every available surface the next? This dust isn’t just an aesthetic problem. It can actually be costing you money in terms of reduced energy efficiency, more frequent HVAC repair needs, and increased health care costs.
Here are the three main problems excessive dust could be causing in your home right now.
Reduced Airflow
The more dust is circulating around your home, the quicker dust will build up inside your HVAC system. A good portion of this dust will be captured by your air filter as well it should. The only catch is that dirty air filters are harder for air to pass though. This will cause reduced airflow through your ducts, so that you will no longer have the flow volume you need to quickly and evenly heat or cool various portions of your home. You may have to adjust your blower to compensate, which will make your system use more energy.
Failed Coils
Once your filter becomes overloaded, other parts of your HVAC system can begin to be affected by excess dust. Parts can get gummed up and even fail. One common scenario is for the condenser coils in your air conditioner to get so dirty that they can no longer perform the heat exchange needed to convert gas to liquid. This will result in your air conditioner working poorly or breaking down entirely, and you’ll probably have to get a new coil installed.
Health Problems
One final consequence of a dusty home is increased health problems associated with poor indoor air quality. This could be anything from headaches and nose or throat irritation to “sick building syndrome.” Individuals with asthma may experience more attacks in a dusty environment. Plus, if your HVAC system is no longer filtering out dust properly, it is probably not catching any bacteria or viruses like it should, and you may have problems with contagion.
What To Do About Dust
Fortunately, when it comes to dealing with dust in the home, you have options besides frantic daily cleaning. You may also want to consider cleaning your air filter more frequently, upgrading to a better filter, or installing an air purifier. You can also have your ducts inspected to check for any gaps or leaks that could be letting dusty basement or attic air into the system.