If you find that you have hot and cold spots in your Auburn home, you’re not alone. This is a pretty normal problem. While it may seem like a big problem, 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 routine 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 means you can determine the air temperature in each zone. The system involves multiple thermostats that operate dampers within 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 could be the missing piece 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 may 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 area that needs heated and cooled, or it’s improperly designed. We find this is fairly common in homes that were built before much of today’s tools and training were used. 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 poor duct system could actually cause new equipment to work more frequently than necessary and reduce its life cycle. The experts at Forster Heating 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 appropriately for your home, it could still be at the root of your home’s hot and cold spots. It’s commonplace for the ducts in a home to leak a bit over time. Experts like Forster Heating can check your ducts and let you know if they should be sealed. They might also find that your ducts aren’t leaking, but they’re not adequately 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 feeling hot and cold spots through your home. Improperly sized HVAC equipment might 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 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, Forster Heating can help. Just give us a call at 530-885-8081 and we’ll help you decide what the issue is and decide 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