If you find that you have hot and cold spots in your Albuquerque home, you’re not alone. This is a pretty normal issue. While it may seem like a major 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 common causes for hot and cold spots are:
- No zoning or improper zoning
- Poorly designed or ineffectively sized duct systems
- Leaky or inefficiently insulated air ducts
- Improperly sized HVAC equipment
Lack of Zoning or Improper Zoning
A zoning system breaks up your home into separate areas, known as “zones,” and allows you to customize 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 assigned zone, then open or close the dampers to match up with the thermostat's settings. This might be the missing link 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 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 room that needs heated and cooled, or it’s improperly designed. We find this is fairly common in homes that were built before a lot of today’s tools and training were around. 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 more often than needed and shorten its life. The pros at I-Deal HVAC 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 might still be the cause of your home’s hot and cold spots. It’s normal for the ducts in a home to leak a bit over time. Professionals like I-Deal HVAC can inspect 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 adequately insulated. Fortunately, this is also a fairly easy 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 may be the cause. A system that is too small has to operate 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 properly.
No matter what’s causing the hot and cold spots in your home, I-Deal HVAC can help. Just give us a call at 505-445-1250 and we’ll help you pinpoint the problem and determine 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