Sight unseen there is no easy answer, but anything that is irritating to the respiratory tract isn't likely to be good for you.
How much dust do you have?
Is this something that just started or has it become worse over time?
Everyone has dust and the source may be something as simple as age old dirt in the ductwork, your cleaning equipment and how clean you keep your home, pets, something your kid has done, hobbies or nearby activities such as farming, highway or building construction. If your home is new the likely culprit is construction dust.
Have you or any of the previous owners done any remodeling or concrete work inside the house?
Is there an attached garage where someone may have done bodywork or sandblasting or ?
Do you have a central vacuum system? Check the power unit to make sure that it is sealed properly.
Hobbies such as woodworking and crafts often generate a lot of dust. Laundry activities including dirty clothes from dusty jobs and powdered laundry soaps may also be the culprit. Other sources include personal hygiene products such as baby powder and byproducts from cooking and cleaning.
Has there ever been a fire? Dry chemical extinguishers leave dust behind.
Dryer lint is usually light grey in color, but to be safe check the vent to make sure that it hasn't been damaged or disconnected. If vented outside and easily accessible, turn the dryer on to high heat and put your hand in front of the vent opening or if out of reach watch to see if the vent door is opening properly. If very little or no air flow, then you probably need to have this vent cleaned or repaired and if its a gas dryer please don't wait as this same vent is used to remove combustion gases and deadly carbon monoxide. Also check the dryer door seal to see if it is soft and pliable or hard and brittle.
Want to rule out the ductwork and can't see inside? Remove the vent covers and insert a small digital camera into the opening, then snap a few pics to see what's in there. If your camera won't fit try a flashlight and mirror.
Knowledge is power and can save you a lot of grief!
If you decide your ducts need cleaned, word of mouth is the the best way to find a reputable company. Check with several of the local heating and air companies and or fire/water/disaster restoration services and get a consensus of who they recommend and why! Most likely it will be one of the smaller companies you may never have heard of that relies on their own reputation rather than a ton of fancy certifications and a lot of expensive advertising.
You should also take the time to do some research on the internet. Look at Heat Seal, Nikro, American Caddyvac and others to see what types of duct cleaning equipment they manufacture and sell, then compare their equipment to that used by the companies you call. While there are some scams running top quality equipment, most use a glorified shop vac or worse and at least you'll know the difference!
Regardless of who you choose, get a guaranteed final price in writing before they start to work and be very wary of expensive add-on products and services such as soot sealing and sanitizing which are rarely needed if the system was thoroughly cleaned in the first place. Also watch their work and ask questions and if afterwards you feel that you were the victim of high pressure sales tactics or shoddy workmanship, contact your state's attorney general (online or by phone) and file a compliant!
Last edited by options; 05-24-2010 at 08:22 PM.
Reason: typo
The greatest pleasure in life is doing well at what others say can't be done at all!