If you find that you have hot and cold spots through your Williamsport home, you’re not alone. This is a pretty normal issue. While it might seem like a major problem, 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 routine 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
- Improperly sized HVAC equipment
Lack of Zoning or Improper Zoning
A zoning system divides your home into separate areas, known as “zones,” and means you can set the air temperature in each zone. The system uses multiple thermostats that control dampers inside the ductwork of your forced-air system. The thermostats are working nonstop, reading the temperature of their designated zone, then open or close the dampers according to the thermostat’s settings. This might be the missing link to keeping that one freezing bedroom warm in the winter, or that smoldering sunroom comfortable all summer. Plus, when you use it with a programmable thermostat, zoning can 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 room that needs heated and cooled, or it’s poorly designed. We find this is fairly normal in homes that were built before many of today’s tools and training were available. 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 shoddy duct system could actually cause new equipment to work more often than needed and reduce its lifespan. The experts at Lycoming Heating Company 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 properly for your home, it might still be at the root of your home’s hot and cold spots. It’s normal for the ducts in a home to leak some over time. Professionals like Lycoming Heating Company can look at your ducts and let you know if they should be sealed. They may also find that your ducts aren’t leaking, but they’re not correctly insulated. Fortunately, this is also a pretty 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 feeling hot and cold spots around your home. Improperly sized HVAC equipment might be the issue. A system that is too small has to operate 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 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, Lycoming Heating Company can help. Just give us a call at 570-326-4450 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