If you realize that you have hot and cold spots through your Magnolia home, you’re not alone. This is a pretty common problem. While it can seem like a larger concern, the good news is that the typical causes of hot and cold spots are usually easy to fix with a straightforward air conditioning service. The most common causes for hot and cold spots are:
- Zero zoning or improper zoning
- Poorly designed or ineffectively sized duct systems
- Leaky or inefficiently insulated air ducts
- Improperly sized 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 determine the air temperature in each zone. The system is composed of multiple thermostats that run 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 could be the missing piece to keeping that one freezing bedroom warm in the winter, or that heat chamber 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 have hot and cold spots simply because their home’s duct system is the wrong size for the space that needs heated and cooled, or it’s improperly designed. We find this is especially normal in homes that were built before a lot 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 allowing it to do its job. In fact, a poor duct system could actually cause new equipment to work more frequently than necessary and reduce its life. The experts at JTech Mechanical 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 properly designed and sized for your home, it may still be the source of your home’s hot and cold spots. It’s common for the ducts in a home to leak a bit over time. Pros like JTech Mechanical can look at your ducts and let you know if they need sealed. They may also find that your ducts aren’t leaking, but they’re not properly 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 throughout your home. Improperly sized HVAC equipment may be the issue. 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 handle the amount of space it needs to condition. Even a system that’s too big can mean 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, JTech Mechanical can help. Just give us a call at 281-231-8768 and we’ll help you pinpoint the problem and decide if you need air conditioning service, or any other types of HVAC service that can help you keep your home comfy.
*Source: U.S. Department of Energy statistics