This white powder gets sucked into the ductwork and collects on the filter, often clogging it up and causing the furnace to trip out on high heat limit due to poor air flow. The colder it gets outside, the faster your filter will get clogged with dirt. Under normal conditions, your filter should last at least a month and gradually become clogged with grey-colored dust and debris. White Powder Substance in Furnace & Humidifier Filter Ottawa. We learned about these appliances and their powdery by-product a few years ago the hard way. from travelling through your ductwork and being distributed throughout your home I looked through the manual and found that it could be a number of things but it ended up being a clogged filter. Many times a humidifier will release a white mist, or dust, that can settle on walls and other surfaces. Electronic filters should be cleaned weekly. So whats the solution for this problem? If so that is the root cause of this white powder. Not the kind that is part of your duct system, but an appliance style humidifier similar to the ones pictured? Updating Price... Updating Shipping Availability... Standard Shipping. I am even considering buying the washable type but I decided that the type of dust in the filter probably wouldn’t be removed easily with washing or vacuuming. 1:48. All in all the humidifier did result in better health, fewer migraines from completely dried out eyes and sinuses.. but it seems there is always a tradeoff in this world. Keeping a boiling pot on the stove is also a stupid idea unless you run a wood stove that heats your home. That white dust was being sucked into the air filter and clogging it. Reasons Your Furnace Filter Is Black. I am now on my third filter in just 5 months which seems a bit insane. • How To – How Often Should You Clean Your Fireplace. From that point on I went through a new filter about every 3 weeks. He has 3 kids and he loves collecting classic heating and cooling gear, which you can find decorating his office. We recommend getting rid of these ultrasonic humidifiers and installing a whole home humidifier. I went down to the heater expecting the worst because the cold winter had been making it run so much I thought maybe something was wrong with it. This pesky white powder is a common problem and comes from a very overlooked source. Francine Viola 9,523 views. Within 3 days there was improvement in our conditions. It was white soot in 80% furnace due to incomplete combustion. Unfortunately you can not get this dust off easy and you are likely to do damage to the face of the filter. Calcium and lime was released into this homeowner’s air because of vaporizer use. This caused problems for my family including very dry skin, dry eyes and sinuses to the point I would wake up with headaches. Recognized nationally as a top 40 under 40 in the HVAC industry. If you choose to continue using the ultra sonic humidifiers we strongly recommend changing your furnace filter every 2 weeks while it is in use. From that point on I went through a new filter about every 3 weeks. You can choose a different type of humidifier and you may have better results with a wicking humidifier but if you have hard water the calcium will be in the water and deposited throughout your home. Electrostatic filters need to be cleaned every three months. Your furnace’s flame sensor could also be sensing a problem in your system, shutting off the gas at startup for safety reasons. Scott Patterson. Made a big difference. Anything that reduces the airflow in your HVAC system is not good for it. (flame did not look right) adjusting flame did help. It’s not normal, or healthy, for a furnace filter to turn completely black. 2. Mechanical filters are not reusable and should be replaced once a month. It will also be sucked into your return ducts and will block your heater filter. I told them that I had just started using a one gallon ultrasonic humidifier and their response was that I shouldn’t see a problem from it. Monday through Friday, 8am to 4pm ESTEmergency calls, 24/7, Share on Facebook The clogged air filter prevents air from moving through the unit, which can make the heat exchange overheat and prevent your home from heating properly. Pull out the air filter. Hey all, can anyone provide any insight as to why there is white particles/flakes of dust getting captured in my furnace filter and my furnace humidifier evaporator? Of course I am buying the really cheap paper ones not the $10 ones or the cheapo Fiberglass ones that are of no use. My heater was running constantly but no heat was coming out of it. No longer was I waking up feeling like someone sucked all the moisture out of my body. That’s because more air is cycled through your filter when your furnace goes through more heating cycles, so more contaminants get caught on the filter’s media.