Best Dust Filter

[KLM]

I have a horrendous dust problem every winter when the furnace fires up.

The humidity is

[CBhvac]

Depends...if your existing ductwork can take it, Home Depot, and TheWEB filter, 3 phase. About $25. If not, and the duct wil not handle the added resistance of that filter, a Climatec 1500....about $75-100 from a contractor that sells them....these are NOT cheap.

Not a chance.

[John E. Jones]

Try one of the 3M filters. There do pretty good for me. YMMV...

JJ

[Joseph Meehan]

Generally household dust can be filtered effectively with a basic media filter. I might suggest changing to one of the better pleated filters and see if that helps. I use one of the 3M filters.

Furnace filters are not really designed to protect your home from dust, but rather to protect the furnace from dust, although they may help with the home as well.

Since you say your dust problem occurs when using the furnace, I would suggest it is not your home that is the source of the dust, but rather the heating system and/or that fresh air intake.

A problem with your duct work could be pulling dust in or the ducts themselves may have considerable dust. Normally I would not recommend duct cleaning as most of the time it is nothing more than a way to separate you from your money. In your case however I suggest it may be called for.

That fresh air duct could also be bringing in more dust than you are thinking. Can you try shutting it off for a few weeks and see what happens?

As for the ducts, I suggest calling in a heating pro. Have him give your furnace and ducts a going over. Likely it has been a long time since a pro has checked them out. Be sure to explain your problem first. Hopefully he does not clean ducts himself so he can be trusted to give you a unbiased opinion on the ducts.

It is possible that a cracked heat exchanger possibly coupled with a combustion problem is your problem. This is the problem you really want to check on. If that is the problem, you will not fix the dust problem by cleaning ducts or adding filters to the return air, but you are in real danger due to the problem.

If that furnace is 20 years old then I would be really worried about it. Also a replacement may save you enough energy to pay for itself.

Good Luck

[Klm]

Good advice there. Needed the nudge. Although I have a carbon monoxide detector on both levels, they have not gone off. I had bought them because I often feel tired when at home, and being at home is most of the time.

I'll follow up another tip I had from a friend, that the local gas company provides free furnace safety inspections. I am suspicious about the free part but even if I have to pay its worth the peace of mind.

On electrostatic filters I had in mind a corona discharge type or something like that. They go for something like $600? Thought I should get some input from this group before I go shopping.

[CBhvac]

That is NOT an electro-static filter..that is an electronic filter..big difference.

[New & Improved - N/F John]

KLM,

It is time for an intervention. You have a junk problem. You must dump your junk now while you feel you still can. You know that the proper use of the space is not for this false sense of valuable items. You need to fill the space with more important items. You can do it.