If you find that you have hot and cold spots throughout your Moline home, you’re not alone. This is a pretty normal problem. While it may seem like a major problem, the good news is that the typical causes of hot and cold spots are normally easy to fix with a normal air conditioning service. The most common 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 breaks up your home into separate areas, known as “zones,” and means you can determine the air temperature in each zone. The system uses 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 meet the thermostat's settings. This could be the key to keeping that one cold bedroom warm in the winter, or that smoldering 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 isn’t sized correctly for the area that needs heated and cooled, or it’s improperly designed. We find this is fairly normal in homes that were built before much of today’s tools and training were around. 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 harder than it should and decrease its life cycle. The professionals at J.L. Brady Company LLC 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 properly designed and sized for your home, it might still be the source of your home’s hot and cold spots. It’s normal for the ducts in a home to leak a bit over time. Experts like J.L. Brady Company LLC can inspect your ducts and let you know if they need sealed. They might also find that your ducts aren’t leaking, but they’re not correctly insulated. Fortunately, this is also a fairly easy fix.
Improperly Sized HVAC Equipment
So there’s a chance your air duct system is just fine and you have a good zoning system, but you’re still experiencing hot and cold spots around your home. Improperly sized HVAC equipment could be the issue. 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 mean problems because it’ll cycle on and off too often to do its job properly.
No matter what’s the cause of the hot and cold spots in your home, J.L. Brady Company LLC can help. Just give us a call at 309-517-7511 and we’ll help you figure it out and figure out 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