If you realize that you have hot and cold spots through your Eastland home, you’re not alone. This is a fairly common problem. While it might seem like a major issue, the good news is that the normal causes of hot and cold spots are typically easy to fix with a straightforward air conditioning service. The most likely 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
- 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 allows you to customize the air temperature in each zone. The system uses multiple thermostats that operate dampers inside 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 may be the missing piece to keeping that one freezing bedroom warm in the winter, or that heat chamber sunroom comfortable all summer. Plus, when you use 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 experience 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 fairly normal in homes that were built before much of today’s tools and training were available. 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 shoddy duct system could actually cause new equipment to work harder than it should and shorten its life. The professionals at J & J 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 properly 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 leak some over time. Pros like J & J Air Conditioning can inspect 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 correctly insulated. Fortunately, this is also a generally 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 through your home. Improperly sized HVAC equipment could be the cause. 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 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 properly.
No matter what’s causing the hot and cold spots in your home, J & J Air Conditioning can help. Just give us a call at 254-355-3833 and we’ll help you decide what the issue is and figure out if you need air conditioning service, or any other types of HVAC service that could help you keep your home comfortable.
*Source: U.S. Department of Energy statistics