If you discover that you have hot and cold spots in your Kutztown and Breinigsville home, you’re not alone. This is a pretty regular problem. While it may seem like a larger concern, the good news is that the common causes of hot and cold spots are normally easy to fix with a straightforward air conditioning service. The most likely causes for hot and cold spots are:
- Lack of zoning or improper zoning
- Poorly designed or ineffectively sized duct systems
- Leaky or poorly insulated air ducts
- The wrong size of HVAC equipment
Lack of Zoning or Improper Zoning
A zoning system splits your home into separate areas, known as “zones,” and means you’re able to customize the air temperature in each zone. The system involves multiple thermostats that control dampers inside the ductwork of your forced-air system. The thermostats are always reading the temperature of their assigned zone, then open or close the dampers according to the thermostat's settings. This might be the missing link to keeping that one freezing bedroom warm in the winter, or that smoldering sunroom comfortable all summer. Plus, when you utilize it with a programmable thermostat, zoning can mean home energy savings of up to 35 percent.*
Poorly Designed or Ineffectively Sized Duct Systems
Some homeowners end up with hot and cold spots simply because their home’s duct system is the wrong size for the area that needs heated and cooled, or it’s poorly designed. We find this is especially normal in homes that were built before a lot of today’s tools and training were used. Unfortunately, even the most energy-efficient HVAC equipment can’t live up to homeowners’ expectations if the duct system isn’t allowing it to do its job. In fact, a poor duct system could actually cause new equipment to work harder than necessary and reduce its lifespan. The professionals at Moyer Total Indoor Comfort can help you decide if your duct work is working for your home.
Leaky or Inadequately Insulated Air Ducts
Even if your duct system is designed and sized appropriately for your home, it may still be at the root of your home’s hot and cold spots. It’s normal for the ducts in a home to leak some over time. Experts like Moyer Total Indoor Comfort can inspect your ducts and let you know if they should be sealed. They might also find that your ducts aren’t leaking, but they’re not properly insulated. Fortunately, this is also a generally simple fix.
Improperly Sized HVAC Equipment
So there’s a chance your air duct system is just fine and you have a good zoning system, but you’re still experiencing hot and cold spots around your home. Improperly sized HVAC equipment may be the cause. A system that is too small has to work harder to heat or cool your home, meaning you have hot and cold spots because it can’t take care of the amount of space it needs to condition. Even a system that’s too big can leave you with problems because it’ll cycle on and off too often to do its job properly.
No matter what’s the culprit of the hot and cold spots in your home, Moyer Total Indoor Comfort can help. Just give us a call at 484-646-3363 and we’ll help you pinpoint the problem and figure out if you need air conditioning service, or any other types of HVAC service that could help you keep your home cozy.
*Source: U.S. Department of Energy statistics