If you discover that you have hot and cold spots through your Delray Beach home, you’re not alone. This is a pretty common occurrence. While it may seem like a larger problem, the good news is that the typical causes of hot and cold spots are typically easy to fix with a straightforward 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 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 in the ductwork of your forced-air system. The thermostats constantly read the temperature of their assigned zone, then open or close the dampers according to the thermostat's settings. This could be the missing piece to keeping that one frozen bedroom warm in the winter, or that smoldering 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 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 improperly designed. We find this is pretty commonplace in homes that were built before much 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 poor duct system could actually cause new equipment to work more often than necessary and reduce its life cycle. The pros at Kilbourne Heating & AC 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 properly designed and sized for your home, it might still be at the root of your home’s hot and cold spots. It’s commonplace for the ducts in a home to become leaky over time. Professionals like Kilbourne Heating & AC can inspect your ducts and let you know if they should be sealed. They could 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 possibly your air duct system is just fine and you have a good zoning system, but you’re still feeling hot and cold spots through your home. Improperly sized HVAC equipment could be the culprit. 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 cause of the hot and cold spots in your home, Kilbourne Heating & AC can help. Just give us a call at 561-287-7071 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 can help you keep your home cozy.
*Source: U.S. Department of Energy statistics