If you realize that you have hot and cold spots in your Chelan and Wenatchee home, you’re not alone. This is a relatively common problem. While it may seem like a major issue, the good news is that the typical 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:
- 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 splits your home into separate areas, known as “zones,” and allows you to set the air temperature in each zone. The system is composed of multiple thermostats that control dampers in 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 missing link to keeping that one frozen bedroom warm in the winter, or that smoldering 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 the wrong size for the space that needs heated and cooled, or it’s improperly designed. We find this is pretty commonplace 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 frequently than needed and shorten its lifespan. The professionals at Lakeside Heating & Air 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 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. Professionals like Lakeside Heating & Air can check your ducts and let you know if they need sealed. They may 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 maybe 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 may be the issue. A system that is too small has to work harder to heat or cool your home, leaving you with hot and cold spots because it can’t take care of the amount of space it needs to condition. Even a system that’s too big can cause 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, Lakeside Heating & Air can help. Just give us a call at 509-284-4265 and we’ll help you pinpoint the problem and determine 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