If you realize that you have hot and cold spots through your Temple/Belton home, you’re not alone. This is a pretty regular issue. While it can seem like a larger concern, the good news is that the typical causes of hot and cold spots are normally easy to fix with a straightforward air conditioning service. The most routine 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 customize the air temperature in each zone. The system involves multiple thermostats that operate dampers inside the ductwork of your forced-air system. The thermostats constantly read the temperature of their designated zone, then open or close the dampers to match up with the thermostat's settings. This might be the missing piece to keeping that one cold bedroom warm in the winter, or that hot box sunroom comfortable all summer. Plus, when you utilize 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 isn’t sized correctly for the space that needs heated and cooled, or it’s poorly 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 live up to 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 harder than it should and reduce its life cycle. The pros at Bell Air Conditioning Inc 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 appropriately for your home, it could still be the source of your home’s hot and cold spots. It’s normal for the ducts in a home to become leaky over time. Pros like Bell Air Conditioning 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 simple 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 experiencing hot and cold spots throughout your home. Improperly sized HVAC equipment may be the culprit. A system that is too small has to operate harder to heat or cool your home, leaving you with 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, Bell Air Conditioning Inc can help. Just give us a call at 254-307-9572 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 can help you keep your home comfy.
*Source: U.S. Department of Energy statistics