If you realize that you have hot and cold spots through your Odessa home, you’re not alone. This is a pretty normal problem. While it might seem like a larger concern, the good news is that the normal causes of hot and cold spots are normally easy to fix with a normal air conditioning service. The most likely 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
- 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 involves multiple thermostats that control dampers inside the ductwork of your forced-air system. The thermostats constantly read the temperature of their specific zone, then open or close the dampers according to the thermostat's settings. This may be the key to keeping that one cold bedroom warm in the winter, or that heat chamber sunroom comfortable all summer. Plus, when it’s used with a programmable thermostat, zoning could 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 the wrong size for the area that needs heated and cooled, or it’s poorly designed. We find this is especially 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 meet 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 harder than it should and shorten its life cycle. The pros at Redhawk Heating & Air Conditioning 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 the source of your home’s hot and cold spots. It’s normal for the ducts in a home to become leaky over time. Professionals like Redhawk Heating & Air Conditioning can look at your ducts and let you know if they should be sealed. They could also find that your ducts aren’t leaking, but they’re not adequately insulated. Fortunately, this is also a generally simple 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 noticing hot and cold spots throughout your home. Improperly sized HVAC equipment could be the culprit. A system that is too small has to operate harder to heat or cool your home, meaning you have 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 leave you with problems because it’ll cycle on and off too often to do its job correctly.
No matter what’s the cause of the hot and cold spots in your home, Redhawk Heating & Air Conditioning can help. Just give us a call at 432-237-0168 and we’ll help you pinpoint the problem and determine 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