You never realize how dirty someone’s air is until you look at their air filter.
When my parents went on a month-long cruise, they asked me to keep an eye on their house for them.
They had an HVAC service appointment already scheduled during the time they were away, so I told them that I’d be there to meet the HVAC technician for them. I showed the HVAC technician where all the HVAC equipment was and tried to answer his questions. My parents didn’t’ tell me about any heat and air issues they were experiencing, so I assumed everything was fine. When the HVAC technician replaced the air filter, he placed it beside the trash can and told me that he was unable to dispose of it himself. Apparently, all HVAC technicians were banned from taking dirty air filters from other people’s homes due to the virus. I understood his reasoning, but what I didn’t understand was why my parent’s air filter was covered in black dust and debri. My air filters were always coated in dust, but it was always a brown or gray color. I asked the HVAC technician why it was black, and he told me that the black color was from smoke. He asked if my parents smoked, and I told him they did. Apparently, the smoke was getting trapped in their air filter, causing it to turn black. It disgusted me to see what I was breathing second hand while I was at my parent’s house!