Cleaning your home is typically not people’s idea of fun, with some exceptions, of course.
There are always chores to be done, and dusting is one of those which seem never-ending. If, however, you start noticing that you are dusting your home more than usual, your AC might actually be to blame for that.
Air conditioning professionals from Hughes Air Conditioning & Heating Repair share some of the most common ways you can prevent your AC from blowing dust into your home.
Not only will you feel better and breathe more easily, but you will also reduce the amount of dusting you have to do every week.
Check Your Air Filter
The first place to start is certainly your air filter. This useful feature of your AC is meant to capture the dust particles and keep them from circulating through your home, as well as to protect the sensitive equipment inside the AC from dust.
However, air filters need to be cleaned or replaced regularly, depending on their type. Most manufacturers recommend doing this at least once a month. If you haven’t checked on the state of your air filter in a while, that might just be your problem.
If your filter isn’t helping at all, even though it is clean, perhaps you need to upgrade to a better-quality one. Check the MERV rating, it will tell you how many and how small particles of dust a filter can capture. Keep in mind, though, that they are likely to be a more expensive option.
While you are checking your air filter, make sure that it fits snugly with the rest of the machine and that it is not letting dust circumvent it.
Check the Ducts
If your air filter is not to blame, the next thing you need to check is the ducts. In fact, this problem is more common than air filter one, but it is easier to check the air filters, so most air conditioning technicians recommend starting with filters.
Your ducts likely go throughout your house, or at least parts of it. If your ducts become damaged in any part, they might start letting dust in past the filters and into your home.
Fortunately, it is fairly easy to spot if you have a duct leak. Simply check the fans and the vents. If there is some dust on them (on the inside), they have a leak.
Finding the Duct Leak
When it comes to finding the leak, that part becomes slightly more complicated. You can inspect some parts of your ducts, but you likely won’t be able to cover everything. You will need HVAC experts to help you with that.
However, if you do find a leak somewhere where you can reach it, and if the leak is not too big, you can easily fix it with duct tape.
Is Your Air Too Dry?
In certain regions of the country, like the deserts of Arizona, the air tends to be fairly dry. That dry air actually helps the dust particles move and travel through your AC system.
If you live in dry places, you might want to consider investing some extra money in a humidifier which will keep your air more agreeable. Not only will your respiratory system thank you, but you will also get rid of a portion of the dust from the air.
Another distinction worth noticing is that winter air tends to be drier than summer air, so even if you don’t live in a generally dry area, you might still need to add some humidity to your air.
