Rugs, Carpets and Carpeting - Is this normal for carpeting

I had carpeting installed. Part of it was made by Mohawk. I don't remember what it was made of but it was not expensive stuff. This was for the bedrooms somewhere around $3. The carpeting looks fine. When I go to vacuum, all this stuff comes off the carpet and clogs the vacuum. It looks like hairballs but there are no animals and I'm not losing my hair. I don't know how many bags I have gone through and it takes me forever to vacuum. What is this stuff? I've never had this happen with carpeting.

Sound like polyester carpet. They are made from fibers that are 6-18" or so long (I'm guessing the lengths as it was explained to me by a carpet installer friend) Any way, these are twisted together to make the yarn. As the carpet is manufactured, it starts off as a loop and the yarns are tied to the backing. Then the loop is shaved off creating the plush pile. Wherever the fragments of the twisted fibers do not make it into the backing, it comes out as shedding. This will not wear out or thin out the carpet, but will last up to 6 months, slowing as it looses the un tied fiber fragments. Because the fibers used are thicker, you get a plusher feeling carpet than you would with nylon, but with nylon, the fibers are extruded as the yarn is manufactured leaving little if any fiber ends not part of the knotting into the carpet backing.

Make sure your beater bar is not set too low an combing the fibers.

The carpet you chose, is most likely a staple fiber instead of continuous filament. If so, that is normal and should decrease in the amount over time.