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A Problem with Dust
I have a problem with dust I have not seen addressed. The problem is confined to one room, which is an upstairs master bedroom adjacent to the bathroom. Enormous amounts of lint-like dust accumulate in very short periods of time, far more than any other room. I have dual zone central heat and air with an electrostatic filter in each unit. I have heard that positive and negative air pressure has something to do with dust, and that most dust is actually drawn in from cracks around doors and windows. Any ideas?
Forest
Check Dryer Vent Connection for Escaping Dust
My sister had a similar problem, but her dust covered the whole house. She was told to check to see if the dryer vent connection to the outside had become blocked. It had come off completely and re-installing it to the dryer took care of the problem. Might help for you.
Allyn
Light Fixture Seal
My mom had this problem. Turned out that the light fixture was not airtight, so every time the door was shut or the a/c came on, it was pulling air from the attic into that room (walk-in closet). Once she figured it out and sealed the light fixture, she has not had a dust problem.
missapril_piano
Adjust Air Pressure to Prevent Dust Buildup
You could make a few relatively simple changes to test the "air pressure" theory. Since your home is heated with central air and that air is fairly well treated by electrostatic air cleaners (if they are regularly maintained), the air vents can be adjusted to keep your room pressurized with that well treated air. Most people never touch the louvers in the vents. That's what they're there for! Be sure the louvers in your room are wide open and have someone slightly close the vents in the rest of the home (specifically the vents on your zone, if known). Start out with the other vents no more than halfway closed.
That should force more clean air into your room. Over time you may notice rooms that are too cold or hot and you can make adjustments to the vents in those rooms.
Another possible option is to adjust the "return air" vent if there is one in your room. If it's oversized or others in the home are undersized or blocked in some way, the house's air is getting sucked right into your room. These vents don't usually have adjustable louvers, so you'd have to find a way to partially close the vent. I'd get a magnetic sheet sold in hardware stores that are meant for closing off unused vents, and close maybe a quarter of the return air vent with it.
This is all experimental and you would have to monitor the temperatures and furnace to be sure you haven't made too drastic a change in your home's HVAC system. If you're concerned about making such changes or are unable to make the changes, contact an HVAC professional and let him know your situation. They know what to do to "balance" a system properly.
Of course, another option is to purchase a one-room HEPA filter unit. True HEPA filters are expensive to purchase and maintain though.
JD
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