How to Find and Fix Hot and Cold Spots

If you find that you have hot and cold spots throughout your Naples home, you’re not alone. This is a relatively common problem. While it might seem like a major problem, the good news is that the common causes of hot and cold spots are typically easy to fix with a simple 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 can 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 meet the thermostat’s settings. This could be the key to keeping that one frozen bedroom warm in the winter, or that smoldering sunroom comfortable all summer. Plus, when you utilize it with a programmable thermostat, zoning may mean home energy savings of up to 35 percent.*

Poorly Designed or Ineffectively Sized Duct Systems

Some homeowners experience hot and cold spots simply because their home’s duct system isn’t sized correctly for the room that needs heated and cooled, or it’s poorly designed. We find this is fairly 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 bad duct system could actually cause new equipment to work more frequently than it should and decrease its life. The professionals at Speedy Air Conditioning 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 properly for your home, it may still be at the root 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 Speedy Air Conditioning can look at your ducts and let you know if they ought to be sealed. They may also find that your ducts aren’t leaking, but they’re not adequately insulated. Fortunately, this is also a fairly simple 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 experiencing hot and cold spots around your home. Improperly sized HVAC equipment may be the culprit. 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 handle 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 the culprit of the hot and cold spots in your home, Speedy Air Conditioning can help. Just give us a call at 239-244-3439 and we’ll help you decide what the issue is and figure out if you need air conditioning service, or any other types of HVAC service that will help you keep your home cozy.