AAARGH! Messy, Dusty Wood Heat (solved?)

[johnha]

My 11th season heating with wood. Love the heat, HATE the dust, BUT, I think I may finally have found something about forced air HVAC that makes me hate it less and love my wood heat more.

We had our 44 YO HVAC system replaced last spring. This modern unit has a 'Circ' setting for the blower motor that basically runs the blower at a low speed approximately 30% of the time. The purpose is to prevent warm and cold spots when you're running the AC or Heater, but you can run the fan that way without the heat or ac being on.

I started using that 'circ' setting along with the wood heat this year and the reduction in dust has been nothing short of amazing. Prior to this year, the winter necessitated weekly dusting of the house, no exceptions, my wife being particular to all-glass coffee and end tables.

Its been 3.5 weeks since we dusted and its now just starting to look like it might need it again, and y'all know how much wood we've been using in this exceptionally cold winter. So if you have a relatively modern blower system you might want to check it out.

Tradeoff is keeping the HVAC filter clean. I would also say electricity but I'm no longer running the two rather large room filters that I've used the past few years, which in retrospect were pretty useless.

 

[esshup]

Thanks! That's good to know. I fight dust every winter and I will be replacing the natural gas forced air furnace and A/C system this coming year. One more thing to add to the "gotta have" list for the furnace. What kind of filtration system do you have on the furnace?

 

[johnha]

I didn't get the 'upgrade' that was available for Lennox, just stuck with the slide in inline filter. I do buy a pleated filter that Ace Hardware sells. Tried the 3M filtrete but it didn't seem any different from the Ace, and the Ace brand is about 25% of the cost of the Filtrete.

 

[esshup]

I gotta look at Ace then. I'm using the Filtrete now. IIRC 1200 or 1500. Thanks!!!

 

[dave_dj1]

I just keep the wood outside where it belongs
I know what you mean though having hot air heat, we have to clean the filter often.

 

[Whitespider]

I've near always used some sort of wood-fired forced air furnace... with return air filter system. We have less dust in the house during heating season than during the non-heating season. The wood gets tossed down the basement into the old coal storage room... which can be closed so the dust from tossing it in says in that room. I get a little dust around the wood-fired furnace in the basement... but I empty the ash pan into a covered 30-gal metal trash can located in the coal room, keeping the majority of ash dust in there with the wood dust.

As far as the filter, I just use the cheap 89¢ fiberglass filters... blow it out once a week and replace it once a month. I do spray them with some stuff in a little pump bottle that makes the glass fibers tacky (works kind'a like the oil ya' put on hi-pro foam air filters). I don't remember what it's called or where I got it (the label is long gone), but the bottle cost all of $2-3 and I've been using it for near 5 years now... it has a deodorizer also.
I tried the "pleated" filters and hated them. First off they reduce air flow even when new and clean, but once dust begins collecting they near stop air flow. They almost need to be replaced every week... and at $5-8 a pop, no thank you.
I also tried the electrostatic filters. They have better air flow and somewhat longer useful lifespan, two weeks, three maybe... but at $12-18 each??
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[Cheesecutter]

I have 2 electrostatic filters that I rinse off as needed, usually 3 weeks. I bought them 8-10 years ago on ebay for about $40 each.

 

[Bushmans]

I run mine for a few hours a couple times a week. I started doing it just to equalize the temps in the house and now do it just to help clean the air. In the summer it runs non stop with the AC but in the winter (now that I have the dragon) it never gets used until just recently. What little bit of electricity it uses doesn't bother me. I need to cycle my air anyways with the wood stove running 24/7 and two dogs, a cat and a bird. We have no shortage of airborne particulates.

 

[johnha]

I just keep the wood outside where it belongs

Not a knock on outdoor burners, to each their own, but watching the actual fire is a HUGE part of my enjoyment of wood heat.

 

[Whitespider]

Not going outside to load the damn thing is a HUGE part of my enjoyment of wood heat.
My naked azz don't even get goose-bumps when I load the box on the way to the shower.
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[Cheesecutter]

Not a knock on outdoor burners, to each their own, but watching the actual fire is a HUGE part of my enjoyment of wood heat.

Evidently my wife feels the same way. I caught her watching a fireplace burning on TV the other day because she misses the fire in the woodstove.