If you discover that you have hot and cold spots in your Fort Lauderdale home, you’re not alone. This is a relatively common issue. While it might seem like a larger problem, the good news is that the normal causes of hot and cold spots are typically easy to fix with a simple air conditioning service. The most routine 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
- 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’re able to determine the air temperature in each zone. The system is composed of multiple thermostats that run dampers within 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 might be the key to keeping that one frozen bedroom warm in the winter, or that hot box 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 have hot and cold spots simply because their home’s duct system isn’t sized correctly for the area that needs heated and cooled, or it’s improperly designed. We find this is pretty common 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 poor duct system could actually cause new equipment to work more frequently than it should and shorten its life cycle. The experts at Solar Air Inc. 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 may 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 Solar Air Inc. can look at your ducts and let you know if they need sealed. They might 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 could be the culprit. A system that is too small has to work harder to heat or cool your home, which leaves hot and cold spots because it can’t keep up with 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 well.
No matter what’s causing the hot and cold spots in your home, Solar Air Inc. can help. Just give us a call at 954-320-7398 and we’ll help you figure it out and decide 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