How to Find and Fix Hot and Cold Spots

July 06, 2017

If you discover that you have hot and cold spots throughout your Boynton Beach home, you’re not alone. This is a fairly normal occurrence. While it may seem like a larger issue, the good news is that the typical causes of hot and cold spots are usually easy to fix with a straightforward 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
  • HVAC equipment that is too big or too small

Lack of Zoning or Improper Zoning
A zoning system splits your home into separate areas, known as “zones,” and allows you to determine the air temperature in each zone. The system is composed of multiple thermostats that control dampers in the ductwork of your forced-air system. The thermostats are working nonstop, reading the temperature of their assigned zone, then open or close the dampers according to the thermostat's settings. This might be the missing link to keeping that one frozen bedroom warm in the winter, or that smoldering sunroom comfortable all summer. Plus, when you use it with a programmable thermostat, zoning may mean home energy savings of up to 35 percent.*

Poorly Designed or Ineffectively Sized Duct Systems
Some homeowners end up with hot and cold spots simply because their home’s duct system is not sized appropriately for the area 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 match homeowners’ expectations if the duct system isn’t allowing it to do its job. In fact, a shoddy duct system could actually cause new equipment to work more often than necessary and decrease its life. The experts at A2Z Air Inc can help you determine 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 might still be the cause of your home’s hot and cold spots. It’s normal for the ducts in a home to leak some over time. Professionals like A2Z Air Inc can look at your ducts and let you know if they ought to be sealed. They might also find that your ducts aren’t leaking, but they’re not properly insulated. Fortunately, this is also a generally routine fix.

Improperly Sized HVAC Equipment
So maybe 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 might be the issue. 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 causing the hot and cold spots in your home, A2Z Air Inc can help. Just give us a call at 561-270-6228 and we’ll help you figure it out and determine 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