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Dust might not seem like a major problem to many homeowners, but it can be a devastating issue if not properly managed. For example, dust may get sucked up into a home's heating system and damage it if people don't take the time to keep their home as clean as possible. Furnace maintenance steps must also be taken to avoid this issue.

Dusty Homes Are Not Uncommon

Though not every home will be a hot bed for dust, some individuals may find that they just can't keep dust out of their homes. There are a few reasons that they are suffering from this problem. Just as few common situations that can cause excessive dust in a home include:

• People repeatedly enter a home with dirty clothes
• Poor housecleaning or irregular dusting
• Animals or pets with long hair or dirty habits
• Dirt air filters on a furnace or HVAC system

Excessive dust in a home can cause health complications for those with asthma or allergies to dust. Even worse, though, dust can get sucked up into a heater and contribute to a variety of furnace issues that can cause serious issues that must be deal with as soon as possible.

How Dust Causes Furnace Issues

When a home has excessive dust, there is a good chance much of it will go airborne from time to time. For example, somebody may wipe dust off of a counter and get some of it on a rag but send most of it into the air. Unfortunately, airborne dust has a tendency to get sucked into a heater's air ducts and work its way down to a heater. Thankfully, the air filter can protect the unit from damage.

However, a filter can only hold so much dust before it no longer works. In this situation, the dust and dirt inside of the furnace can start falling off the filter or getting caked along the inside of the furnace. When this happens, the furnace may run inefficiently or even break down. That said, homeowners can prevent this issue with proper maintenance steps.

Avoiding This Problem

People concerned about dusty furnaces need to take steps to keep their home as clean as possible. Regularly dusting a home keeps dirt and other contaminants from going airborne. Pay special attention to areas near the ducts of the heating system to keep dust from getting sucked inside.

Homeowners should also get the inside of their heater regularly cleaned to prevent dust spread through a home. The air filters on a heater are particularly prone to heavy dust infestation, so make sure to remove them regularly and either replace or clean them as needed.

These simple steps should help to prevent dust from getting too damaging inside of a furnace. If any other issues develop based around this problem, make sure to contact a professional heating service, like Magnolia Plumbing, to get the necessary help.