Dusty indoor air? Your ducts might be leaking

If the air inside your house is dusty, it might mean your air conditioning ducts have sprung leaks.  

If you’re changing your air conditioner filter regularly, it will trap dust and pollutants that get into the indoor air so they never make their way into the duct system—or back into the air.  

But if the ducts have tiny holes or cracks or joints that aren’t well-sealed, dust can bypass the filter and sneak directly into the ducts. Once dust gets in there, the duct system will blow it all over the house. 

Dust in the ducts and in the air can raise the temperature in your home and force your air conditioning system to operate inefficiently and struggle to keep your home cool during the summer. 

It’s well worth it to have the ducts of your air conditioning system sealed at the joints. 

Not only will it prevent dust from flying around your house, it could reduce your air conditioning bills this summer. The average house loses about 20 percent of its conditioned air through ducts that are improperly installed or are leaking at the joints. 

A house with “clean” air also is less likely to trigger dust and pollen allergies to family members while they’re indoors.