If you discover that you have hot and cold spots in your Lafayette home, you’re not alone. This is a relatively common issue. While it might seem like a larger problem, the good news is that the normal 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:
- Zero zoning or improper zoning
- Poorly designed or ineffectively sized duct systems
- Leaky or inadequately insulated air ducts
- The wrong size of HVAC equipment
Lack of Zoning or Improper Zoning
A zoning system divides your home into separate areas, known as “zones,” and means you’re able to customize the air temperature in each zone. The system is composed of multiple thermostats that run dampers inside the ductwork of your forced-air system. The thermostats are working nonstop, reading the temperature of their specific zone, then open or close the dampers according to the thermostat's settings. This might be the key to keeping that one freezing bedroom warm in the winter, or that hot box 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 have 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 improperly designed. We find this is pretty commonplace 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 meet 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 necessary and decrease its lifespan. The professionals at AC Sales 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 designed and sized appropriately for your home, it could still be the source of your home’s hot and cold spots. It’s common for the ducts in a home to leak a bit over time. Pros like AC Sales can inspect your ducts and let you know if they ought to be sealed. They could also find that your ducts aren’t leaking, but they’re not properly insulated. Fortunately, this is also a fairly routine fix.
Improperly Sized HVAC Equipment
So possibly 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 run 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 correctly.
No matter what’s causing the hot and cold spots in your home, AC Sales can help. Just give us a call at (337) 234-2345 and we’ll help you pinpoint the problem and figure out if you need air conditioning service, or any other types of HVAC service that can help you keep your home comfortable.
*Source: U.S. Department of Energy statistics
