Do you have areas in your home that always seem to be colder or warmer than the others? If so, you are not alone. Hot and cold spots are common in many homes. Of course, the goal is to have consistently comfortable temperatures throughout your indoor living areas. Fortunately, there are steps you can take to avoid or solve the issue of hot and cold spots in your home.
Assess the Ductwork
Air from your heating and cooling system travels to the rooms in your home via the ductwork. Over time, ductwork can experience wear and tear in the form of cracks, tears, and holes. Sections of ductwork can even move out of proper alignment. This damage allows warm and cool air to leak out before it reaches your rooms. Not surprisingly, this can lead to hot and cold spots in one or more rooms.
If some of your ductwork is visible, you can check for wear and tear. However, it is best to call in a trained HVAC technician for this type of evaluation. A technician is able to access ductwork within the walls to determine its condition. Also, this professional is familiar with what to look for. If there is damage, a technician can repair it or install new ductwork.
Evaluate Your Heating and Cooling System
Hot and cold spots in a home can be the result of HVAC equipment in the wrong size. The size of HVAC equipment refers to its heating and cooling capacity.
HVAC equipment with too large a capacity for the size of your home is going to heat or cool your rooms too quickly. Alternatively, an HVAC system with too little capacity to serve your home, won’t heat or cool your rooms in a sufficient way. In both instances, you have uneven heating and cooling.
At Oak Island Heating and Air Conditioning in San Marcos, our experienced HVAC technicians have the skills to evaluate your current heating and cooling system. We can determine whether the size of your system is causing hot or cold spots. If so, we can talk with you about getting HVAC equipment in the proper size to better serve the heating and cooling needs of your household.
Unblock the Vents
It is easy to block the airflow coming from a floor vent or one on the lower section of a wall. Doing something as simple as moving a sofa in front of a wall vent can block enough air to cause a hot or cold spot. It is worth your time to make sure your vents are not blocked by rugs, furniture, or other items in a room.
Adjust the Vents
Adjusting the vents can be the solution to a hot or cold spot in your home. If you have a cold spot, check to see if the vents in the room are open. A closed vent is preventing the delivery of warm air into the room. Alternatively, the cause of a hot spot may be a closed vent preventing cool air from entering the space.
In addition, it is helpful to check the direction of the airflow coming from your vents. A vent aimed at a particular spot in a room can be the cause of a cold or hot spot. A small adjustment of a vent can create more even airflow in a room.
Air Leaking Out of Windows
A cold or hot spot in a home can be a result of air leaking out through gaps or cracks around windows. Specifically, damage to caulk or weather stripping can result in air leaks.
Take some time to examine the area around your windows. You may need to replace the weather stripping or even invest in new windows. Once your windows are secure, your hot or cold spot may disappear.
Utilize Window Coverings
A hot spot in a home may be the result of too much sunlight flowing into the space. Though the air conditioning is working in an efficient way, it is struggling against the intense sunlight. One solution is t
o put up sun-blocking curtains and close them when the sun pours through the window. These two actions are going to help lower the temperature in the room.
If you have a cold spot in your home, open the curtains to let the sunlight inside. The heat from the sunlight combined with the warm air from your furnace is going to create a comfortable temperature in the space.
Relocate Your Thermostat
There can be a connection between a hot or cold spot in a room and the location of your thermostat. Your thermostat displays the ambient temperature in your home. If the device sits near a window, the heat from the sun can affect its temperature reading. The room temperature reading on the thermostat rises, causing the air conditioning to turn on. The air conditioner runs unnecessarily, creating a cold spot.
Not only does this make the room uncomfortable, but it is also a waste of energy. Be sure to install your thermostat away from direct sunlight so the device can deliver accurate ambient temperature readings.
Move Electronics Away from the Thermostat
Examine a cold spot in your home. Are there electronics sitting near the thermostat in the room? If so, they could be contributing to the issue.
Electronics such as computers, DVD players, televisions, and radios release heat. A nearby thermostat can detect this heat and cause the air conditioning to kick on when it is not necessary. This results in a cold spot.
One way to remedy this situation is to relocate your electronic devices to an area several feet away from the thermostat. Keep an eye on your thermostat’s ambient temperature to see if moving your electronics makes a difference.
Adjust the Ceiling Fan
A ceiling fan turning in the wrong direction for the season can cause hot or cold spots. In short, your ceiling fan may be working against the efforts of your heating and cooling system.
In the summertime, set your ceiling fan to turn counterclockwise. This allows the fan’s paddles to pull the warm air upward and send cool air back down. In the winter, set your fan to operate in a clockwise direction. The fan sends the warm air near the ceiling back down into the living area.
Our team of HVAC professionals at Oak Island Heating and Air Conditioning in San Marcos is ready to assist you in finding a solution to hot and cold spots in your home. We also provide heating and cooling system repairs, installation work, and maintenance. Our company can help you improve your indoor air quality. We have humidifiers, dehumidifiers, air purifiers, and other solutions to boost the quality of your home’s air.
Our business is proud to have an A+ rating with the BBB. We employ a team of technicians with NATE certification, so you know you are getting quality work done by professionals. Last but not least, we are respectful of both your time and your property. Contact Oak Island Heating and Air Conditioning in San Marcos today to schedule an appointment!
