If you find that you have hot and cold spots throughout your Pflugerville home, you’re not alone. This is a relatively common problem. While it may seem like a major problem, the good news is that the normal causes of hot and cold spots are normally easy to fix with a normal air conditioning service. The most routine causes for hot and cold spots are:
- No zoning or improper zoning
- Poorly designed or ineffectively sized duct systems
- Leaky or inefficiently insulated air ducts
- HVAC equipment that is too big or too small
Lack of Zoning or Improper Zoning
A zoning system splits your home into separate areas, known as “zones,” and allows you to customize the air temperature in each zone. The system uses multiple thermostats that operate dampers in the ductwork of your forced-air system. The thermostats constantly read the temperature of their specific zone, then open or close the dampers according to the thermostat's settings. This might be the missing piece to keeping that one frozen bedroom warm in the winter, or that hot box sunroom comfortable all summer. Plus, when you use 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 experience hot and cold spots simply because their home’s duct system is the wrong size for the room that needs heated and cooled, or it’s poorly designed. We find this is especially normal in homes that were built before many of today’s tools and training were available. Unfortunately, even the most energy-efficient HVAC equipment can’t meet homeowners’ expectations if the duct system isn’t letting it do its job. In fact, a shoddy duct system could actually cause new equipment to work harder than it should and reduce its lifespan. The professionals at Evenaire Heating & Air Conditioning 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 the cause of your home’s hot and cold spots. It’s normal for the ducts in a home to leak a bit over time. Professionals like Evenaire Heating & Air Conditioning can look at your ducts and let you know if they ought to be sealed. They might also find that your ducts aren’t leaking, but they’re not correctly insulated. Fortunately, this is also a fairly routine 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 could be the issue. A system that is too small has to work harder to heat or cool your home, which leaves 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 cause problems because it’ll cycle on and off too often to do its job well.
No matter what’s the culprit of the hot and cold spots in your home, Evenaire Heating & Air Conditioning can help. Just give us a call at 512-355-1482 and we’ll help you decide what the issue is and decide if you need air conditioning service, or any other types of HVAC service that could help you keep your home comfortable.
*Source: U.S. Department of Energy statistics