Table of Contents
This is a brand new installation and the ductwork was leaking. Older ductwork definitely leaks and can cause a dusty environment
Trane Air Handler Making Dust | HVAC Troubleshooting - I would appreciate someone in the Trane organization that would please tell me why since installment and still 5 years later my house is nothing but a dust pit. I am not exaggerating. You can wipe dust blankets DAILY off my walls, floors, furniture. I have been, since the installation, asking someone to help me.
My original installer put a filtering system “like used in coal mines” - did not help. I have had independent HVAC inspectors who cannot understand nor have any reasoning for the dust. One thing was that the original TRANE installer did not put sufficient air return duct in my house.
CAN SOMEONE HELP OR AT LEAST GIVE ME AN ADDRESS/TELEPHONE NUMBER WHERE I CAN CONTACT THE MAKER/OWNER OF TRANE?
L.E.
Trane Air Handler Making Dust | HVAC Troubleshooting
Dear Mr. L.E.,
Sorry but I have to call you out on the obvious here but you asked for it. There is no way any type of Trane air handling unit can manufacture dust all on its own and I do not believe you when you say HVAC experts do not have an explanation for you about where the dust is coming from.
Take my word for it there are many HVAC experts who would nail this seemingly big mystery in about two seconds. If those were truly experts that told you they do not understand or have a reason for the dust from the Trane air handler then they need to be fired for incompetence.
I have not looked at your air handler or HVAC system so I am going to take an educated guess as to what your problem is and where the dust is coming from. Read my article Ductwork Integrity and Insulation” and you will see that 80 to 90 percent of the ductwork in homes and businesses have air leakage rates of at least 10 to 20 percent. There are many people who change their air handler and condensing unit but never touch the ductwork and they end up with big problems kind of like you are having Mr. L.E.
This is not a problem for Trane so we truly hope you do not bother them unless it is calling one of their dealers out to check and either repair the ductwork or replace it. If you are having the problems you say you are having then I would surmise that the ductwork probably needs to be replaced.
Trane Air Handler Making Dust | HVAC Troubleshooting
The first place I would look would be the return duct since this is the part of the ductwork that has negative pressure. In other words, the return duct pulls air through the duct and into the blower which is inside the air handler. For more information on the air handler components, you can go to my air handler components pages so you can learn a little.
If the return duct is not sealed and if it does not have airtight integrity then it will pull particles including dust into it. Chances are good to excellent this ductwork is under your house so it is pulling all the dust and dirt from the crawl space and delivering it into your home.
The really bad part about this is that this air most likely has already been through a filter at the opening of the return so there is nothing to filter this dirty dusty air before it gets to your brand new Trane air handler in which case it probably does not look brand new any longer but the new Trane air handler has had so much dust put through it that the new Trane air handler looks like it needs to be replaced.
The evaporator coil is also in rough shape and needs to be cleaned after the duct is repaired.
Trane Air Handler Making Dust | Conclusion
Other areas to look at that can cause dust in your house can be cracks and crevices in the doors, windows, and other places. Any place where you can get infiltration from the outside to the inside. This is especially true if you live in a dusty environment such as near a dirt road or near any type of industrial setting that stirs up dust. Lots of traffic in and out of the house can also cause dust and dirt to be prevalent inside the home.
A good HVAC contractor can help solve your problem of too much dust, make you more comfortable, and help you to be healthier with clean fresh dust-free air. The key is hiring a true professional that has integrity and sometimes these guys are not easy to find because they are very busy.
They are also usually not the lowest bidder that many people go for in today’s market. Good luck to you Mr. L.E. I hope you solve the problem but remember I have never seen any Trane air handler that manufactures dust. The problem is elsewhere.
Trane Air Handler Making Dust?
Technical Resource: Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Technology
