Dust storms in Mesa, AZ leave behind a great deal of particulate matter that can make its way inside your home. When you start to see large swirls of dust in the sky, it’s important to take steps to protect your indoor air quality (IAQ). This will help you avoid unpleasant symptoms like coughing and burning eyes, but these tips also protect your HVAC system from damage.

How Dust Storms Impact Indoor Air Quality

Dust storms have the potential to transport tiny particulates over many miles. Even if your area isn’t in the immediate vicinity of the dust storm, your indoor air quality may still suffer. Particulates can make their way indoors through small cracks and holes around your foundation, doors and windows. Particulates will land on various surfaces and circulate through the air you breathe each day. This can lead to a flare of allergy and asthma symptoms and cause inflammation in your airways.

Chronic exposure to particulate matter from dust storms can lead to chronic health problems. This is especially true for people who already deal with chronic health conditions like COPD or emphysema. Also at risk are very young children and older adults. Even your pets can suffer from exposure.

Sealing Up Your Home

You want to minimize the number of particulates that can enter your home. If you know the concentration of dust in the air outside is very high, keep windows and doors closed for the time being. However, you should also go around your home prior to a storm and seal around windows and doors. You can use weatherstripping and caulk for this purpose. Look for other open areas around the base of your foundation or in your attic.

Investing in Whole-Home Air Filtration

Have a professional from our team assist with choosing a whole-home air filtration system. This equipment is installed directly onto your HVAC system and removes dust from dust storms along with other contaminants like pollen, pet dander and mold spores. High-efficiency particulate air filters, or HEPA for short, can remove up to 99.97% of the particulate matter in your indoor air. This includes dust from dust storms.

Make sure you routinely replace the filter in your filtration unit according to the recommended time period. A clogged filter can reduce the effectiveness of your equipment and lead to system strain. Make sure you’re running your HVAC system regularly after a dust storm to promote a healthy degree of air circulation and to remove particulate matter.

Considering Your Outdoor Activities

It’s best to keep your home sealed for the time being and prevent opening and closing doors. Reduce your exposure by staying inside. During the storm, minimize use of your HVAC system if your equipment brings outside air indoors. You can begin to use your equipment again once the storm is over and the dust has settled.

Deep Cleaning Your Home

Once a dust storm passes, you may still be dealing with indoor air quality issues. If there is a lot of dust on the surfaces in your home, certain activities can cause those particulates to circulate into the air.

Make sure you wipe down surfaces with a wet towel, rinsing it frequently to prevent spreading dust particles. Invest in a vacuum with a HEPA filter to prevent dust from leaving the vacuum and circulating through your air. You can use a mop on hard floor surfaces. You may also need to take down curtains and window treatments to thoroughly clean them.

Addressing Air Filters

Some homeowners choose to use an upgraded HVAC or purification filter during and after a storm. You should change this filter once the storm is over and your home is clean. This time frame may be much shorter than what you’re used to, but it’s ideal for the quality of your indoor air.

You can go back to using your normal HVAC filter after the storm is over. Refer to the minimum-efficiency reporting value rating, or MERV for short. Residential HVAC systems can usually handle a filter that has a rating between 8 and 12. Aim for a filter with a higher MERV if you live in an area that experiences dust storms.

Scheduling Routine Inspections and Maintenance

Make sure you reach out to our team at Honest Air Conditioning after a dust storm comes through the area. We can inspect your HVAC system to determine if any damage has occurred to your equipment because of the storm. We may need to clean interior components to prevent system strain and damage.

If you haven’t recently experienced a dust storm, we recommend scheduling routine HVAC service at least once per year. Ideally, prior to the start of storm season to ensure your equipment is ready to perform efficiently and reliably.

We recommend having your ducts cleaned once every three to five years. Consider a more frequent schedule or a one-off cleaning after a dust storm. If you allow dust to accumulate in your ducts, this can dramatically decrease the quality of your indoor air and impact your heating and cooling equipment. You should also ensure your ducts aren’t leaking. A professional HVAC inspection can find issues and let you know if you need duct sealing service or a thorough cleaning.

Monitoring Your Indoor Air Quality

Invest in a smart thermostat if you don’t already have one. Many of these units come with indoor air quality sensors that allow you to monitor your IAQ remotely. You can use this data to adjust your whole-house filtration equipment or HVAC system. You can also purchase standalone air quality sensors that you can place in various rooms of your home.

Addressing Relative Humidity (RH) Levels

When the air inside your home is very humid, this makes it easier for particulate matter to be held in the air. You can use a hygrometer to ensure that your indoor humidity remains between 35% and 50%. If you’re struggling with high RH, you can reduce humidity with the installation of a whole-home dehumidifier. There are other methods of reducing humidity, including running your exhaust fans and other ventilation equipment.

Upgrading Your Insulation

The amount of insulation you have in your home is also important. Insulation not only keeps conditioned air where it belongs, but it can also keep outside air from coming in. Consider upgrading your insulation, upping the R-value of what’s in key areas like your attic, walls and around your foundation.

Considering Your Landscaping

Adding strategically positioned trees and bushes around your home can prevent dust from reaching your residence. Adding mulch around your sidewalks and other walkways can prevent dust from getting kicked up after a storm. Make sure you perform maintenance on your landscaping each year to keep it lush and healthy to offer the most protection.

Honest Air Conditioning in Mesa can help you protect the quality of your indoor air after a dust storm passes through the area. We can inspect your HVAC equipment, perform maintenance and repairs and even upgrade your heating and cooling equipment.

Contact us at Honest Air Conditioning today to find out more about protecting your indoor air quality in Mesa or to schedule an appointment with our team.