The Battle Against Cal City Dust

Why is it so dusty inside?

In California City, fine silt blows constantly. If your home has even tiny leaks in the return ducts, your HVAC system acts like a giant vacuum cleaner, sucking dust from your attic or crawlspace and spraying it all over your furniture.

Step 1: Check Your Ducts

The #1 source of indoor dust isn't open windows—it's leaky ducts. In older mobile homes especially, the specialized "crossover" ducts underneath often tear open, pulling in dirt from under the house.

We perform duct pressure tests to find these leaks and seal them with mastic or metal tape (duct tape eventually falls off in the heat!).

Step 2: Upgrade Your Filter

Those cheap green fiberglass filters catch rocks and small birds, but they let all the dust through. We recommend:

• MERV 8 Pleated Filters: Good balance of filtration and airflow. Change monthly.
• MERV 11: Better filtration for allergies, but verify your system is strong enough to pull air through it.
• 4-Inch Media Cabinets: The gold standard. Holds pounds of dust without restricting airflow. Lasts 6 months.

Step 3: Positive Pressure?

If you have a swamp cooler, one benefit is "positive pressure." It forces air out of the cracks in your house, keeping dust from coming in. But with central AC, the house is sealed. Ensure your windows and doors have good weatherstripping to stop infiltration.