If you find that you have hot and cold spots through your Marshalltown home, you’re not alone. This is a pretty normal issue. While it might seem like a major problem, the good news is that the common causes of hot and cold spots are typically 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 breaks up your home into separate areas, known as “zones,” and means you’re able to determine the air temperature in each zone. The system is composed of multiple thermostats that control dampers within 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 could be the missing link 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 may 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 isn’t sized correctly for the space that needs heated and cooled, or it’s designed the wrong way. We find this is especially normal in homes that were built before much of today’s tools and training were used. Unfortunately, even the most energy-efficient HVAC equipment can’t match homeowners’ expectations if the duct system isn’t letting it do its job. In fact, a bad duct system could actually cause new equipment to work harder than it should and shorten its life cycle. The professionals at B & G HVAC can help you figure out 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 the cause of your home’s hot and cold spots. It’s commonplace for the ducts in a home to become leaky over time. Experts like B & G HVAC can check your ducts and let you know if they ought to be sealed. They may also find that your ducts aren’t leaking, but they’re not properly insulated. Fortunately, this is also a generally routine fix.
Improperly Sized HVAC Equipment
So possibly your air duct system is just fine and you have a good zoning system, but you’re still feeling hot and cold spots around your home. Improperly sized HVAC equipment may be the cause. A system that is too small has to operate harder to heat or cool your home, meaning you have hot and cold spots because it can’t handle 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 correctly.
No matter what’s the cause of the hot and cold spots in your home, B & G HVAC can help. Just give us a call at 641-316-3360 and we’ll help you pinpoint the problem and decide if you need air conditioning service, or any other types of HVAC service that will help you keep your home cozy.
*Source: U.S. Department of Energy statistics