If you realize that you have hot and cold spots through your Zelienople home, you’re not alone. This is a fairly regular occurrence. While it can seem like a larger problem, the good news is that the typical causes of hot and cold spots are usually 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 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 allows you to set the air temperature in each zone. The system is composed of multiple thermostats that run 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 according to the thermostat's settings. This may be the missing piece to keeping that one freezing bedroom warm in the winter, or that heat chamber sunroom comfortable all summer. Plus, when you utilize it with a programmable thermostat, zoning could mean home energy savings of up to 35 percent.*
Poorly Designed or Ineffectively Sized Duct Systems
Some homeowners have hot and cold spots simply because their home’s duct system isn’t sized correctly for the room that needs heated and cooled, or it’s improperly designed. We find this is especially common in homes that were built before many of today’s tools and training were around. Unfortunately, even the most energy-efficient HVAC equipment can’t match homeowners’ expectations if the duct system isn’t permitting it to do its job. In fact, a bad duct system could actually cause new equipment to work harder than it should and reduce its lifespan. The experts at Knoechel Heating Company 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 properly designed and sized for your home, it could still be the source 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 Knoechel Heating Company can check your ducts and let you know if they need sealed. They might also find that your ducts aren’t leaking, but they’re not adequately insulated. Fortunately, this is also a fairly routine fix.
Improperly Sized HVAC Equipment
So maybe your air duct system is just fine and you have a good zoning system, but you’re still noticing hot and cold spots through your home. Improperly sized HVAC equipment could be the cause. A system that is too small has to operate harder to heat or cool your home, leaving you with 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 correctly.
No matter what’s the culprit of the hot and cold spots in your home, Knoechel Heating Company can help. Just give us a call at 724-425-5852 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 comfy.
*Source: U.S. Department of Energy statistics