Why Is My House So Dusty?
Keeping your house clean is a never-ending task, and research shows it’s not cheap, with the average household spending more than $50 a month on cleaning supplies.
One reason is dust. Even with regular cleaning, your home will get dusty.
More important than the nuisance of having a dusty home is that dust can cause or aggravate different health issues.
- The American College of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology estimates that 50% of all illnesses are caused by poor indoor air quality (IAQ).
- The EPA lists indoor pollution as one of the top five environmental risks to public health, causing 8.5 million deaths each year.
- The Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America estimates the cost of nasal allergies is between $3 billion and $4 billion every year
Here are some things to know about why your house is always dusty and how to eliminate these issues.
HVAC Systems: The Biggest Cause of Dusty Homes
In some cases, houses can be very dusty because the floors and carpets are not cleaned as often or as thoroughly as you think.
Hardwood floors, carpets, and rugs can harbor a lot of dust. The more we walk on them, the more we kick dust into the air and other parts of the home.
The biggest cause of a dusty home is probably your HVAC system.
It acts as the lungs of your home—it brings air in and lets air out of your home to heat or cool it accordingly. An HVAC system has many working parts which, if not maintained properly, can lead to a very dusty house.
How Ductwork Attracts Dust
Your HVAC system is located outside of your home, with dirt, outdoor dust, dander, and other kinds of debris. The HVAC system sucks in these different elements as it works, and they end up traveling through your system’s ductwork, especially if it is full of leaks.
When your HVAC system is connected to leaky ductwork, it allows air to enter the system without going through the air filter meant to catch dirt and debris. As a result, your HVAC system will be releasing dirty air into your home.
How to Get Rid of Dust in Your Home
Clean Regularly
Cleaning on a regular basis can help reduce dust accumulation.
If you have cats and/or dogs, vacuum often to ensure you're picking up pet dander and hair. You may want to increase the frequency during peak shedding seasons, typically spring and fall.
Invest in an Air Purifier
An air purifier can help reduce dust while improving the overall air quality of your home.
Change HVAC Air Filters
Regularly changing your air filters is important. These filters help to collect dirt and other particles and keep them from floating around the air in your home.
Over time, they become dirty and must be replaced. If it’s not, your HVAC will not work efficiently, and the dust has nowhere to go, so it accumulates within the house.
Check for Duct Leakage
If your ductwork isn’t properly sealed, air traveling through them enters the home without being filtered. Pollutants from unconditioned spaces get sucked into your ducts leaving you with lots of dust and poor air quality.
Seal Your HVAC System's Ductwork
The biggest step to take in eliminating dust from your home is to seal your HVAC system’s ductwork – especially your air return ducts.
Return vents (also referred to as cool air return vents) pull the air from your rooms into your return ducts and send it back to your heating and cooling system.
Return vents are usually larger than supply vents, and you will not feel air being blown out of them.
Ductwork for returns is typically found in unconditioned spaces of your home, such as attics, inside walls or under floors, and even crawlspaces and basements.
These spaces are often unreachable for contractors to fix or seal after the home is built without the need to demo and renovate.
Solving the Problem of Dust in Your House
Sealing leaky return ducts:
– Decreases dust in the home
– Ensures less frequent filter changes
– Improves indoor air quality
– Decreases energy consumption
– Extends the life of your HVAC system
– Reduces utility bills
While the problems causing a dusty home may seem complex, the solution to eliminating leaky ductwork is simple – have a professional seal your ductwork with Aeroseal.
Click here to learn how Aeroseal duct sealing eliminates leaky ductwork.
