If you discover that you have hot and cold spots through your Safford home, you’re not alone. This is a pretty regular issue. While it might seem like a major issue, the good news is that the common causes of hot and cold spots are usually easy to fix with a simple 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
- Improperly sized HVAC equipment
Lack of Zoning or Improper Zoning
A zoning system divides your home into separate areas, known as “zones,” and means you can customize the air temperature in each zone. The system is composed of multiple thermostats that operate dampers in the ductwork of your forced-air system. The thermostats are working nonstop, reading the temperature of their designated zone, then open or close the dampers to match up with the thermostat's settings. This could be the missing link to keeping that one cold bedroom warm in the winter, or that heat chamber sunroom comfortable all summer. Plus, when you utilize it 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 not sized appropriately for the space that needs heated and cooled, or it’s designed the wrong way. We find this is fairly 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 permitting it to do its job. In fact, a bad duct system could actually cause new equipment to work more frequently than needed and shorten its life. The pros at B&D Air Conditioning 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 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 a bit over time. Professionals like B&D Air Conditioning can look at 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 correctly insulated. Fortunately, this is also a pretty simple 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 through your home. Improperly sized HVAC equipment could be the cause. A system that is too small has to run harder to heat or cool your home, which leaves 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 properly.
No matter what’s the culprit of the hot and cold spots in your home, B&D Air Conditioning can help. Just give us a call at 928-432-6018 and we’ll help you decide what the issue is and determine 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