Extraordinary dust

[leeannwc]

Hello. I am living in a new construction home (about 6 mo now). I have a severe dust problem, meaning I can dust in the AM and by PM I can write my name on surfaces, even the hard wood floor. I dismissed it to just new construction dust that would improve over time, but that has not happened. I have had the ducts cleaned/vacuumed about 3 months ago, but saw little improvement. I have a Carrier Infinity HVAC system, heat pump with gas backup that serves the main floor and basement. The main floor is where all the dust is. We have a separate unit serving the 2nd floor and it has just normal amounts of dust. I considered blowed insulation entering the return ducts, however that is only in the attic where the upstairs unit is located.
Any ideas? I am a going crazy trying to keep my house clean and have 3 small children, two of whom have severe allergies, so this dust is unacceptable! Please help!

[captube]

It sounds like the main floor unit was used as a construction heat furnace.
If that is the case cleaning of the furnace and coil is absolutely necessary not only for the dust but to insure the unit functions properly. If you find that it was used you might want to see if it affects the warranty on the unit.

[leeannwc]

What does that mean that it was used as a construction heat furnace? It was used during construction. They taped "filters" over the return vents at that time. How should I proceed if this is the case? The HVAC contractor was aware of it being used during this time and if I'm not mistaken is the one who covered the vents.

[captube]

Construction heat is used by the builder to dry the drywall compound, paint etc. filters wont stop drywall dust from entering the system.
Since the builder used your (new) furnace for his benefit he should be responsible for getting it back to a (new) condition. He should reimburse you for the cleaning and have the unit thoroughly cleaned by a HVAC company.
I would have the builder and HVAC contractor sign a document saying all warranty's are still intact and any future damage (insert a reasonable time limit) that can be attributed to the use of the furnace for construction heat will be covered by builder or HVAC company.

[Ron]

That furnace was installed in violation of install instructions and could be out of warranty as a result. Document all your troubles with it and get on the builder, hvac company and possibly Carrier. The manufacturor has no control once the unit is sold but the install manual spells it out and they may stop that installer from destroying any more equipment especially on that top dollar system. Good Luck

[captube]

Ron, do you have access to the install manual for carrier unit?( 1 that was put out in the last 6 months). In a previous discussion it was brought out that carrier now approves the use as a construction furnace and will accept all warranty parts as long as contractor cleans the unit. I'm not a carrier dealer and as far as i could find they no longer have Not to be used as a construction furnace listed in the manual. I don't know if this accurate but i'm curious if this is the case. The most recent Goodman install manual still has it listed. Regardless if listed or not it is a very bad idea.

[leeannwc]

From what I can tell, our HVAC installer has been giving us good service. What, specifically, should I ask him to do at this point? Thank you!

[leeannwc]

I just had another thought that might be relevant. My husband has gone to change the filter on this unit twice now, but found that it is not dirty? Shouldn't it have been? The upstairs filter was dirty and has been replaced in this same time frame. Also the RH in our home has been hovering around 28% (another issue that I have addressed on another thread).

[captube]

If they have not performed a thorough cleaning they should and be certain that the coil,secondary heat exchanger, blower and motor (motor and blower wheel will have to be pulled to clean properly.) inside furnace compartments should be clean.
The dust is inside the furnace and coil etc. it is blowing inside your house some settles before the filters will pick it up, thats probably why your filters are clean at this point. Some of the damage to the equipment may not be obvious until after the first year.

Loose return air connections and air infiltration can also cause all of the above.
OK i just read your other thread and see that the G.C. has bellyed up on you, if he was bonded and there is some defects in construction there may be some recourse. Contact the HVAC co. and see how far they will go in helping you out as far as clening and testing the duct work. good luck :)

[Ron]

I have not seen a Carrier manual of recent vintage but I don't care who makes the unit still a bad idea and an insult to the equipment when used for construction heater.

Is this case screaming out for a complete system cleaning, duct leak test, duct sealing, and retest ? I THINK IT IS !! YES, I'M SURE IT IS !!!

[leeannwc]

Are you suggesting that there is already hidden damage that has been done to our unit OR that it is a potential problem if we do not get it cleaned?

[captube]

Are you suggesting that there is already hidden damage that has been done to our unit OR that it is a potential problem if we do not get it cleaned?

I'm only telling you what i have personally seen in numerous cases where furnaces were used as construction heaters. Some of the damage especially if not thoroughly cleaned will only show up later. 1 example would be a partially stopped up evaporator coil that will not meter the refrigerant properly will cause premature failure of the compressor if not corrected. Numerous other parts of the furnace may have been effected by the constant short cycling and running in adverse conditions.

[mark beiser]

I doubt your dust problem has anything to do with dust in the HVAC systems. If you have central returns with no return in each room, the HVAC system could be causing pressure imballances within the house that cause excess infiltration in some areas.
Chances are that your dust problem is caused by infiltration of outside air into the house through dirty buffer zones, like the attic, wall caveties, crawlspace, etc.
Infiltration will also cause low indoor humidity in the winter, high indoor humidity in the summer in some climate, and excess energy usage during both the heating and cooling seasons.

IMO, you need to have a blower door infiltration test performed on the house, and have the home diagnosed for room to room pressure imballances caused by the HVAC systems. Less than 0.5% of HVAC contractors are trained and equipped to do that kind of testing.

For some more information on it, and a link to find a contractor in your area who is trained and equipped to perform the testing, visit www.comfortinstitute.org

[leeannwc]

We have 4 returns on the main level. Two centrally located, and the other two on opposite ends of the house. The dust I am finding is actually white in some rooms and leads me to believe that drywall dust may very well be the problem. Those of us sleeping on the main level wake up with sore throats and crusty eyes and noses. We did not in our previous home. We are scheduled for a blower door test this week by our RECC. It looks like we need to get our HVAC guy involved again, though.??