If you realize that you have hot and cold spots throughout your Jefferson City home, you’re not alone. This is a relatively normal occurrence. While it can seem like a big issue, the good news is that the common causes of hot and cold spots are typically easy to fix with a simple air conditioning service. The most common causes for hot and cold spots are:
- No zoning or improper zoning
- Poorly designed or ineffectively sized duct systems
- Leaky or inadequately insulated air ducts
- HVAC equipment that is too big or too small
Lack of Zoning or Improper Zoning
A zoning system divides your home into separate areas, known as “zones,” and allows you to determine the air temperature in each zone. The system involves multiple thermostats that control dampers within the ductwork of your forced-air system. The thermostats are working nonstop, reading the temperature of their assigned zone, then open or close the dampers to meet the thermostat's settings. This might be the missing piece to keeping that one cold bedroom warm in the winter, or that hot box sunroom comfortable all summer. Plus, when it’s used with a programmable thermostat, zoning could 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 isn’t sized correctly for the space that needs heated and cooled, or it’s designed the wrong way. We find this is fairly commonplace 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 meet homeowners’ expectations if the duct system isn’t permitting it to do its job. In fact, a poor duct system could actually cause new equipment to work more often than it should and shorten its life. The pros at Stieferman Heating Company Inc can help you determine 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 could still be at the root of your home’s hot and cold spots. It’s normal for the ducts in a home to leak a bit over time. Experts like Stieferman Heating Company Inc can look at your ducts and let you know if they should be sealed. They may also find that your ducts aren’t leaking, but they’re not adequately insulated. Fortunately, this is also a pretty easy 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 noticing hot and cold spots throughout your home. Improperly sized HVAC equipment could be the cause. A system that is too small has to work harder to heat or cool your home, leaving you with hot and cold spots because it can’t keep up with 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 correctly.
No matter what’s the cause of the hot and cold spots in your home, Stieferman Heating Company Inc can help. Just give us a call at 573-635-3547 and we’ll help you pinpoint the problem and determine if you need air conditioning service, or any other types of HVAC service that could help you keep your home comfy.
*Source: U.S. Department of Energy statistics