Dust in your home can cause allergies in humans and pets. The term “dust bunnies” may sound sweet, but when you can’t stop sneezing, your eyes are streaming, and your skin has developed a rash, it doesn’t feel sweet anymore.
However, you can use your HVAC system as an anti-dust machine, lowering the amount of dust inside your home and reducing the risk of allergic reactions and grime.
Causes Of Home Dust
What exactly causes home dust? Many homeowners are shocked and horrified to discover they still have dust problems after cleaning regularly. However, a clean home doesn’t always mean zero dust.
Here’s a selection of the common causes of home dust:
- Pollen outside (along with soil and particle matter)
- Dust mites
- Dead skin
- Insects
- Pet dander
- Food remnants
As you can see, home dust can be caused by a range of things. However, it’s important to act upon discovering a dust problem in your home.
What Health Issues Are Caused By Home Dust?
What exactly is the problem with home dust? What health threats can they pose? Home dust can aggravate and cause the following problems:
Respiratory Problems Due To Home Dust
The most well-known health problems due to home dust revolve around respiratory issues. Dust particles are a contributing factor of cardiovascular and respiratory concerns. Recovery of your lungs is absolutely possible, but you’ll need to stop inhaling the dust first.
Allergic Reactions
Dust allergies display themselves through runny noses and sneezing. On top of this, common side effects of dust allergies are red, watery, or itchy eyes. Other symptoms include an itchy roof of your mouth, a cough, pressure in your face, and swollen eyes.
Asthma
Dust mites or home dust can be extremely problematic to those who suffer from asthma. Dust can cause asthmatic people to experience difficulty when breathing, a tight or painful chest, whistling or wheezing when breathing, trouble sleeping, and a lower immune system.
How To Reduce Home Dust With Your HVAC System
Clearly, home dust can be extremely problematic – specifically for those with allergies and even more so for those with asthma. However, you can use your HVAC system to minimize the amount of dust in your home. Here’s how.
Replace Your HVAC Air Filters
First up, it’s time to replace your HVAC air filters. These can become dusty themselves over time, so eliminate this with new ones. Try to invest in an HVAC filter with a high MERV rating for better filtration performance.
MERV ratings stand for Minimum Efficiency Reporting Value. In short, the higher the rating, the smaller the particles are restricted from passing through the filter. MERV ratings range between 1-16. Anything rated between 6 and 13 is generally seen as “good.”
Use Your HVAC Fan While Cleaning
Your HVAC blower fan can help capture flying dust. Switch the mode to “fan only” when you’re cleaning and keep it on for a few hours after you’ve finished. Then, after it’s had a chance to help eliminate the dust, switch it back to “auto.”
Don’t worry about your wallet, though. This process doesn’t require any heating or cooling, you won’t be using excess energy, and you won’t end up with a high bill.
Check Your HVAC Ducts
You’ll want to routinely check your HVAC ducts for any wear and tear. Do this every time you clean your HVAC registers. Once a month, take your supply and return register covers off to give them a wipe down, and use your vacuum to clear out the ducts as far inwards as possible.
Clean Air Vent Registers
Use your vacuum and a microfiber cloth to clean your air vent registers. This will help remove most of the dirt and dust in your system. Make sure you’ve dampened it first with water. Don’t use any chemicals, though, as this could make it very tricky to remove dust and dirt buildup.
Install An Electric Air Cleaner
Electric air cleaners are HVAC accessories used specifically to remove dust and clear the air in your home. They work best when paired with the rest of the steps in this article. Alone, there may be too much dust for it to handle. However, it’s worth also installing an electric air cleaner to lower the amount of dust in your home.
Get Regular HVAC Tune-Ups
Finally, make sure your HVAC is working at its fullest capacity with routine tune-ups. As with anything, checks and maintenance will improve not only performance but life span, saving you money in the long run, too.
Use Your HVAC System To Minimize Home Dust
Dust can cause mayhem for homeowners with allergies or asthma, and it can sometimes feel like a never-ending battle. However, your HVAC is an excellent ally to have to minimize the amount of dust in your home. Call HELP today for all your HVAC related questions.
