Having a fully working, reliable and efficient HVAC system is one of the most important things for every homeowner, especially those living in the warmer parts of the country such as Miami Dade. A few common issues occur from time to time that require the attention of a professional air conditioner service company. Some issues, on the other hand, can be fixed by the homeowners themselves.
Even when maintenance is done regularly, hot and cold spots can appear.
Are Hot and Cold Spots a Sign of HVAC System Failure?
In short, hot and cold spots are significant temperature differences between rooms in a house. When you feel completely comfortable in one room while the other room is too hot or too cold even when the set temperature is the same, this means you have hot or cold spots in your home.
Hot and cold spots are unlikely to appear right after maintenance service, but it means there’s something wrong with your HVAC system and it needs attention.
Noticing hot or cold spots in your home doesn’t necessarily mean that your air conditioner is failing or that you need to improve your air conditioning system.
What Causes HVAC System Hot and Cold Spots?
A few common reasons are usually behind hot and cold spots in your home, with the number one being blocked or cracked air ducts. To improve air circulation, the air ducts need to be inspected and cleaned if there’s any kind of blockage in question. If there’s a crack in the ducts, they need to be fixed as soon as possible because you can lose up to 30% of cool or warm air because of it, not to mention other damage it can cause to your home.
If you notice hot or cold spots, you can try and improve your air conditioning by cleaning or replacing the air filter in your HVAC system. This should be done during regular maintenance work, but different working conditions can cause buildup in the filters even before it’s time for regular yearly maintenance.
The great thing about this quick fix is that homeowners can do this in most cases. If you’re not sure how to clean or replace the air filter, contact a professional HVAC system company to do it for you.
The Solutions to Avoid Hot and Cold Spots
There are many things one needs to consider to avoid getting hot and cold spots around their home. Before and during the installation of your new HVAC system, it’s up to the installation company to recommend a certain system that’s adequate in size and has enough cooling power to even out the temperature in every room.
The homeowners should also opt for quality equipment, even though there are cheaper options to choose from. Professionals such as Chills Air Conditioning will give their recommendations after evaluating the living space and buyer needs. These recommendations are to improve air conditioning and get the most efficient solution for every buyer.
After a fresh HVAC system installation, the specialist performs an air balancing process that’s one of the most important things to increase AC airflow and maximize efficiency. There can be a huge difference when the HVAC system is properly adjusted compared to when it’s not.
When you improve air circulation in your system, you will feel a huge difference in the work of your home cooling system. To increase AC airflow in your home, there are a few things you can do.
The first and most important thing is to leave breathing room between your furniture and the vents. Slightly moving the furniture away from the vents won’t be enough to provide optimal airflow to improve air conditioning in your home. There should be at least 18 inches between the vents and furniture.
The second thing you can do to avoid hot and cold spots in your home is to adjust the registers. This is something many homeowners overlook, which can cause issues to the entire HVAC system. Registers can be opened or closed even by accident, and forgetting to put them back in their original position can cause the appearance of hot and cold spots around the house.
One of the most common reasons why hot and cold spots appear is due to the lack of window covers such as drapes, blinds or shades. Even though it doesn’t seem like window covers can improve air circulation, it’s a very important aspect of keeping a balanced temperature across the entire home, especially if the rooms are facing west. Improving ventilation in your home is also very important for your health.
Another thing worth checking out are thermostats that can be a simple cause of hot and cold spots around a home. Faulty thermostats send false signals, thus making an increase in AC airflow where it isn’t needed. This can cause huge temperature differences so checking the thermostats regularly will help you avoid hot and cold spots.
Is Hiring Professionals Necessary as Soon as You Notice Hot or Cold Spots?
When it comes to avoiding hot and cold spots, most of the things can be done by the homeowners and don’t require professional help. These are simple things anyone can and should know how to do. Consulting professionals is always a good idea because in that case, there’s very little room for error, and most HVAC companies will gladly give you tips free of charge.
If you already noticed hot or cold spots in your home and you’ve done all the things we mentioned above, you should contact a professional HVAC company such as Chills Air Conditioning. We’re here to help you!
Finding the cause of the issue usually doesn’t take very long and can be fixed in a short amount of time. The biggest issue that can happen is a broken air duct which requires extensive repairs, but it isn’t the most expensive problem to fix.
Hot and cold spots usually don’t happen overnight. It’s something that gradually increases over time. Once you notice a hot or cold spot in your home, your system already needs attention.
Some of the things we mentioned can be done without assistance from professionals, but if you can’t find the cause, you shouldn’t wait a second before calling the experts. They will quickly find the cause of hot or cold spots in your home and resolve any issues you may have with your AC system.
Although the temperature differences don’t sound like a big deal, they can cause further damage to your system and can require much more expensive repairs if not attended to promptly.
Did you ever experience hot or cold spots in your home or at your friend’s house? Leave us a comment and share this article if you know someone having hot or cold spot issues!
