If you realize that you have hot and cold spots in your Pacheco home, you’re not alone. This is a pretty normal problem. While it can seem like a major concern, the good news is that the common causes of hot and cold spots are normally 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
- HVAC equipment that is too big or too small
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 uses multiple thermostats that operate dampers in the ductwork of your forced-air system. The thermostats are always reading the temperature of their designated zone, then open or close the dampers according to the thermostat's settings. This could be the key to keeping that one cold bedroom warm in the winter, or that hot box sunroom comfortable all summer. Plus, when it’s used with a programmable thermostat, zoning could 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 is not sized appropriately for the space that needs heated and cooled, or it’s improperly designed. We find this is pretty commonplace in homes that were built before a lot 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 letting it do its job. In fact, a bad duct system could actually cause new equipment to work more frequently than needed and shorten its life cycle. The professionals at Clean Air HVAC 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 may still be at the root of your home’s hot and cold spots. It’s common for the ducts in a home to become leaky over time. Pros like Clean Air HVAC can check 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 possibly 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 might be the cause. A system that is too small has to work harder to heat or cool your home, meaning you have 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 cause of the hot and cold spots in your home, Clean Air HVAC can help. Just give us a call at 925-233-6238 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