If you realize that you have hot and cold spots through your Savage home, you’re not alone. This is a relatively regular problem. While it may seem like a larger concern, the good news is that the normal 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:
- 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 means you’re able to customize the air temperature in each zone. The system is composed of multiple thermostats that control dampers inside the ductwork of your forced-air system. The thermostats constantly read the temperature of their specific zone, then open or close the dampers to meet the thermostat's settings. This could be the key 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 can 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 poorly designed. We find this is pretty normal in homes that were built before many of today’s tools and training were available. Unfortunately, even the most energy-efficient HVAC equipment can’t live up to 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 needed and decrease its lifespan. The experts at Gopher Heating and Air Conditioning 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 may still be the source of your home’s hot and cold spots. It’s normal for the ducts in a home to leak some over time. Professionals like Gopher Heating and Air Conditioning can check 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 experiencing hot and cold spots around your home. Improperly sized HVAC equipment may be the issue. 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 handle 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, Gopher Heating and Air Conditioning can help. Just give us a call at 952-373-0377 and we’ll help you figure it out and figure out 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