If you discover that you have hot and cold spots through your Norco and St. Charles Parish home, you’re not alone. This is a relatively regular issue. While it may seem like a big issue, the good news is that the common 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:
- 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 divides your home into separate areas, known as “zones,” and means you can customize the air temperature in each zone. The system involves multiple thermostats that run 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 meet the thermostat's settings. This could be the missing piece 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 could 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 common 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 allowing it to do its job. In fact, a shoddy duct system could actually cause new equipment to work more frequently than necessary and reduce its lifespan. The professionals at Mayeuxs AC & Heating 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 could still be the cause of your home’s hot and cold spots. It’s commonplace for the ducts in a home to become leaky over time. Experts like Mayeuxs AC & Heating 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 adequately insulated. Fortunately, this is also a generally simple 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 throughout your home. Improperly sized HVAC equipment might be the culprit. A system that is too small has to run harder to heat or cool your home, leaving you with 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 well.
No matter what’s causing the hot and cold spots in your home, Mayeuxs AC & Heating can help. Just give us a call at (985) 764-2426 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.
*Source: U.S. Department of Energy statistics