New Home Has Excessive Dust Coming Through Air Vents – What To Check?

New home is very dusty inside. We just moved into a new home and the air vents blow dust when the AC is on. I live in a new suburb where home building and construction is still going on all around us. When we have the air conditioner on, the dust blows into the house. I have 2 young children and don’t want them sick. Plus our new home and new furniture is covered with dust and dirt. We are forced to vacuum the floors and carpets and dust everything daily. We have 2 air purifiers running 24/7 but they do not seem to help remove the dust. What can we do to reduce the dust from coming in through the vents?

New Home Has Excessive Dust Coming Through Air Vents - What To CheckNew Home Has Excessive Dust Coming Through Air Vents – What To Check

You are getting excess dust and dirt in your home because of all the construction around you. Dirt and dust will be excessive while they are still building homes in your new suburb. This is most likely a temporary problem until all the construction on the homes around you are completed. Below we will give you some simple tips to try to reduce the dust in your new home…

FYI: Your home HVAC system has intakes and returns. The air duct returns will blow air into your home and the intakes will suck the air out of your home. This constantly filters the air in your home while cooling or heating it.

Dirty Home Air Intake FilterDirty Home Air Intake Filter

HOW TO FIX THE DUSTY HOME PROBLEM:
Replace the air filter(s) at the intakes for the furnace/air conditioner with the correct size and correct type such as a HEPA filter. Newer homes will usually have a large air intake in a centrally located area in the ceiling or wall. Some homes will have more than one air intake and sometimes (since the home is new) the smaller air intakes will have been forgotten and will not have an air filter installed.

Ultra Allergen Reduction Home Air FilterUltra Allergen Reduction Home Air Filter

Check all areas of your home to be sure how many air intakes it has. Usually there will be 1, 2 or 3 air intakes depending on the size of your home. Once you locate the air intakes, make sure there is an air filter installed. If so, check to be sure the air intake does not have a dirty air filter installed. If the air filter is dirty, replace it. Be sure you replace it with the exact size and be sure you use a high quality HEPA or ALLERGEN air filter. These types of air filters filter out dust mites and fine particle dust and can keep the dust down to a minimum while the construction takes place outside.

Home Air Filters - Filter More DUST!Home Air Filters – Filter More DUST!

If after replacing the air filters with new filters you still notice the air returns are blowing in dust, you should check the ductwork to be sure the ducting has not come apart or there is a leak at one of the duct seams. Depending on where they are, the ducts could be pulling in dust from your attic or possibly the basement. If you find no issues with the duct work, and you have quality air filters installed, you may want to take an extra step and install filters that fit inside the return air ducts in each room. They are called Register Vent Filters. They look like a strip of foam that simply catch dust particles that made it through the HVAC system.

Register Vent FiltersRegister Vent Filters

If you have tried everything and dust still comes into your home, you may want to look into air duct cleaning from a professional company. If you choose to use a duct cleaning company, choose wisely. Sometimes having your home air ducts cleaned can cause issues as the people cleaning the air ducts can separate the ducts at the seams. Check reviews online and call a few places before you make a decision.

HVAC Duct Cleaning - Home CleaningHVAC Duct Cleaning – Home Cleaning

Have question or comments about a home with too much dust inside? Leave a comment below and we will be happy to answer any questions you may have.

6 thoughts on “New Home Has Excessive Dust Coming Through Air Vents – What To Check?”

  1. The vents in the apartment keeps blowing dust. I had air duct and vents cleaned and still the same problem. I keep changing filter and they are clean. I used a dehumidifier to no avail. I also clean the place and a day later can see the dust. What is the problem? What can be done as it is making me sick and hard to breathe.

  2. Water in heat vents, every winter, turn heat on and dust is all over everything. I also get very very very sick. Same time every year when I turn heat on the heater in winter. What to do am getting lung issue now. 12 years of this. What to check or do.

  3. I have this same issue as well, although I cannot view it blowing outside. It’s in my carpeting instead! Throughout the entire house! The sandy stuff is insulation, fiberglass bits. At least that’s what we have come to figure out. Its dangerous and its everywhere, ruined my carpeting as well as making my dog very Ill. I’m in the process of getting this hopefully taken care of, although it may be a lengthy process as it already has been. Try to find the culprit of where it’s coming in at, so far we have not but did get confirmation that it is in fact insulation. Good luck to you and stay safe. By the way, I was advised to contact the health department, if what you have is the same as mine, its absolutely necessary as this stuff is not ok to be around breathing it in.

  4. John Ish Ishmael

    Our Peel Housing apartment is very well maintained but our HVAC system keeps blowing dust Andy more dust even after filter changes. Before I paste muslin cloth over the top and bottom is there a better solution? Thanks and hugs ISH

  5. We moved new AC unit to attic. Whole house remodeling done from wall to wall after water damage. AC is blowing dust in an intolerable way. I wiped tablet screen off. Placed in one room, in one minute, I could not see the screen icons. Please help.

  6. I have sand blowing from the ac vents into my apt. If you look at the outside unit you can see sand flying out the unit. What would cause that the ducts were cleaned and it got worst.

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