How to Find and Fix Hot and Cold Spots

July 06, 2017

If you realize that you have hot and cold spots through your Northglenn home, you’re not alone. This is a fairly common issue. While it might seem like a larger issue, the good news is that the normal causes of hot and cold spots are normally easy to fix with a straightforward air conditioning service. The most likely causes for hot and cold spots are:

  • Lack of zoning or improper zoning
  • Poorly designed or ineffectively sized duct systems
  • Leaky or inefficiently insulated air ducts
  • The wrong size of HVAC equipment

Lack of Zoning or Improper Zoning
A zoning system splits your home into separate areas, known as “zones,” and means you can customize the air temperature in each zone. The system uses multiple thermostats that control dampers within the ductwork of your forced-air system. The thermostats constantly read the temperature of their specific zone, then open or close the dampers to match up with the thermostat's settings. This could be the missing piece to keeping that one cold 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 isn’t sized correctly for the space that needs heated and cooled, or it’s designed the wrong way. We find this is especially normal in homes that were built before many 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 letting it do its job. In fact, a poor duct system could actually cause new equipment to work more frequently than it should and decrease its lifespan. The experts at Northglenn Heating & Air Conditioning, Inc. 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 appropriately for your home, it may still be at the root of your home’s hot and cold spots. It’s commonplace for the ducts in a home to leak some over time. Pros like Northglenn Heating & Air Conditioning, Inc. can check your ducts and let you know if they need sealed. They could also find that your ducts aren’t leaking, but they’re not properly insulated. Fortunately, this is also a generally 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 noticing hot and cold spots throughout your home. Improperly sized HVAC equipment might 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 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 well.

No matter what’s the culprit of the hot and cold spots in your home, Northglenn Heating & Air Conditioning, Inc. can help. Just give us a call at 303-452-4146 and we’ll help you figure it out and decide if you need air conditioning service, or any other types of HVAC service that can help you keep your home comfy. 

 
 
*Source: U.S. Department of Energy statistics