Troubleshooting Your Furnace

Posted on: 12 April 2017

If you can't get rid of the dust in your home, even after cleaning everything in sight, take a look at your HVAC system. Dirty air vents and insufficient air filters may create an unhealthy environment in your house. The excessive dust in your home can cause allergy symptoms to flare up, or you can develop new allergies over time. You can make your home cleaner with the information below.

Why Should You Clean Your Home's Air Vents?

Throughout the warm season, your home can build up with dust. Some of this dust can travel into your home's air ducts and build up. Once you switch on your heating system in the cold months, the dust inside your air ducts recirculates into your home and causes problems for you and your family.

Dust can potentially cause numerous allergy symptoms, including sneezing, coughing, and post-nasal dripping. Some individuals develop allergies from dust mites in the summer and winter. Dust mites can also inhabit your personal belongings, including your bedding, sofa, and clothing. People with asthma may be particularly vulnerable to the pests.

One of the things you can do to ease or prevent your allergy symptoms is clean the air vents leading to your air ducts.

How Do You Clean Your Home's Air Vents Properly?

Although you may not have physical access to the ducts hiding behind your walls or beneath your floors, you can gain some access to the ducts through the air vents in your ceiling and floors. After you locate your air vents, follow the steps below.

1. Cut power to your heating system. 
2. Fill a large container with cold water. Add 2 teaspoons of dish detergent to the water.
3. Mix the solution above until it's foamy or sudsy.
4. Use a screwdriver or another tool to remove the grilles from each air vent. Place the grilles to the side so you can wash them later.
5. Use a long-hosed vacuum to suck as much of the debris lining the inside of the vents as you can.
6. Dip a cloth into the container of water, then wipe down the inside of the vents. 
7. Dry the vents with a soft cloth. 
8. Wash your vents' grilles with soapy water and allow them to dry. Replace each grille.

Return power to your heating system and wait for it to heat up the home. If you completed the cleaning correctly, the air in your home should feel cleaner and less dusty. If the home still feels stuffy and dusty, try the tip below.

What Else Can You Do to Make the House Better?

Although basic air filters can help keep heating system in good shape, they may not be enough to fight excessive dust and other contaminants. You can use high efficiency filtration systems to make your home cleaner and safer.

High efficiency systems use special air filters remove the feces of dust mites and other contaminants that trigger allergies or their symptoms. Some systems filtrate the entire house, while others may only remove contaminants from specific areas of the home, such as a child's bedroom or your living room.

If you don't want to use a purifier, you can just replace your current air filter with a high efficiency filter. It's a good idea that you consult with an HVAC contractor for more information about high efficiency air filters. Some heating systems require specific types of high efficiency filters to operate at top performance, especially if you have a relative new system in your home. 

To learn more about keeping the dust and other contaminants down in your home during the winter and other times of the year and having the best heating and air conditioning systems, contact an HVAC specialist today.