Preventative Maintenance: Dust Buildup

An air conditioning unit generally has a good filter on it that will get most of the larger particles suspended in the air column given it runs for an extended period of time. Even with the fan running, the typical unit generally pushes air with two fans, internal and external -- it is cheaper in the long haul to have a set up which is basically fan and filter.

There are cheaper DIY options which work nearly as well as bought air filters and there are a few online instructions on how to make one. Basically a box fan with some air con filter taped or attached to the front or back of the fan unit, depending one what sort of fan blade is provided. Some suck better though a filter than push though a filter.

I have in the past relied on the air conditioner unit to clean up really dusty air, but found that I needed a ground level fan blowing over the floor to stir up any dust that might settle. Used this approach for both getting a room ready to paint, as well as back 20 years ago when I needed a clean room to try and recover data off a couple problematic hard drives.