AC system - white dust

al bennett

I have a brand new house in Florida and my wife is driving me nuts because we seem to getting more dust here than we did in NYC.
Could the ducts need to be cleaned and/or will an electronic precipitator help?

Al

BillW@honeywell

white dust

I think you said this is a brand new house, correct? If so, white dust is a very common problem, and stems from the sheetrock,insulation, sanding, painting, and finishing of wood, like sanding hardwood floors. In additon, a sizable amount of water vapor is off-gassing from the sheetrock, lumber and paint, along with plasticizers, adhesives and paint solvents. Dust you can see is too large to stay airborne long enough for it to make it to any filter, mechanical or electronic to remove it. It's the small stuff you can't see that can cause harm.

You need to accomplish two things. Dilute and exhaust the vapors & gases, and de-humidify the space. Your AC system will accomplish the latter, if it is sized properly, and for the gases & vapors,you might consider an energy recovery ventilator, with a high moisture transfer capacity as an accessory. I also would consider installing a mechanical filter, with the option of upgrading it to an electronic unit later, after the dust has settled a bit. You can help,too, and while a central vacuum cleaning system that exhausts outside is best, a good-quailty portable vacuum cleaner with a hepa filter will keep the dust confined to the machine, not just blow it back out the exhaust like standard vacs do. Check Consumer Reports for HEPA models.

If you'd like to check out some of Honeywell's options, check out our website www.honeywell.yourhome.com, or contact your local Honeywell PerfectClimate or Enviracare Elite Contractor. Some models to check are the F200 Media air cleaner, which upgrades to an F300 Electronic unit, the whole-house HEPA F500 unit, and the ER 200 Energy Recovery ventilator.

ernie_3

coil

construction dust tends to be stubborn stuff. Have the evaporator coil cleaned professionally. You may or may not clean the ductwork. If flexible duct was used, you'll never clean it adequarely, have it replaced.