If you realize that you have hot and cold spots through your Cambridge home, you’re not alone. This is a pretty normal occurrence. While it might seem like a major problem, the good news is that the common causes of hot and cold spots are usually easy to fix with a normal 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 inadequately 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 allows you to set the air temperature in each zone. The system uses multiple thermostats that run dampers inside the ductwork of your forced-air system. The thermostats are working nonstop, reading 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 freezing bedroom warm in the winter, or that heat chamber sunroom comfortable all summer. Plus, when you use 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 is the wrong size for the room that needs heated and cooled, or it’s improperly 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 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 harder than needed and shorten its lifespan. The professionals at Pliescott HVAC Services LLC 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 designed and sized properly for your home, it could still be the cause of your home’s hot and cold spots. It’s commonplace for the ducts in a home to leak some over time. Experts like Pliescott HVAC Services LLC can inspect 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 properly insulated. Fortunately, this is also a fairly routine 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 may 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 leave you with 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, Pliescott HVAC Services LLC can help. Just give us a call at 410-228-4822 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 will help you keep your home comfy.
*Source: U.S. Department of Energy statistics