As you make your way around your home during your daily routine, you may feel like you are walking through a bio-dome filled with different temperatures. One room could feel too cold, and the next room may feel too hot. Instead of dealing with these different temperatures, you can find ways to dramatically change the heating and cooling in your home in the Kalispell, MT area for the better. Learn what causes hot and cool spots, some common solutions, and how a zoning system can make a difference in your home.
The Causes of Hot and Cool Spots
Based on the home’s build and design, hot and cool spots will occur naturally in a house. The source of the problem is not always associated with the HVAC system alone. For example, some of the leading causes of hot spots in your home may have to do with solar heat gain. When the sun shines through the windows of your house, certain areas will heat up, causing inconsistent temperatures. This can especially be an issue if you have a large south-facing window in a space like a living room, no matter what you set your thermostat to.
Colder areas of the home may have to do with a lack of windows or air leaks. Air leaks in your home may occur due to doors or windows that are not adequately insulated. You can often solve this issue by using caulk or weather stripping to improve the seal around vulnerable spots.
Another source of hot and cool spots in the home may be blocked supply vents throughout your HVAC system. Vents in your home can easily be covered up unintentionally, especially vents on the floor. Carpets, furniture, and even misplaced bedding could easily hinder the performance of your HVAC system. These objects can create both hot spots and cool spots. Unfortunately, the issue could also be an obstruction in your ductwork or another issue you cannot remedy on your own. If this is the case, you will have to contact an HVAC professional to find and resolve the problem.
Ceiling Fan Installation and Home Benefits
A lack of ventilation can often create hot and cool spots. On the other hand, constant airflow can make a big difference in the overall temperatures in your home.
A professional ceiling fan installation can help by providing ventilation. Fans can also reduce the amount of heating and cooling required for comfort. You should set ceiling fans to turn in counterclockwise in summer. This direction will create a downdraft, which produces a direct cooling breeze that can reduce the need for air conditioning. Alternatively, when temperatures are cold, your fan direction needs to be clockwise to create an updraft and circulate warm air around your house. By recirculating conditioned air and distributing it back into your living spaces, you can improve the average room temperature and keep your HVAC system from working overtime.
Air Filter Maintenance and HVAC Performance
The performance of your HVAC system is another factor that can make a difference when dealing with hot and cold spots in your home. One task that you can perform that may help is to change your air filters regularly. A clogged filter will interfere with the airflow through your heating or cooling system and create uneven temperatures.
Experts recommend that you change out HVAC air filters at least every three months and inspect them once a month. However, they may need to be replaced more often depending on factors like how hard your HVAC system runs during extreme weather or if you have pets that shed a lot. You will always be aware of when dirty filters need attention by performing regular inspections. Good filter maintenance will not only help with uneven heating and cooling but also ensure your HVAC system runs efficiently, reducing utility bills and wear and tear on your equipment.
How Zoned Systems Can Prevent Hot and Cool Spots
In many older homes, there is only one thermostat. In most cases, this thermostat regulates heating or cooling for the whole house. With the layouts of rooms being so different, you will often find areas where one room gets more conditioned air than another. The significant differences in heating and cooling needs for various rooms can not only result in hot or cold spots, but you could waste a lot of energy at the same time. For instance, you may turn up the heat to make working in your home office comfortable. Unfortunately, this may waste energy heating rooms that don’t need it. One of the best solutions to this issue is having a professional HVAC technician install a zoned system in your house.
Instead of a single thermostat controlling the temperature in your entire house, a zoned system will provide heating and cooling for specific rooms controlled by multiple thermostats. When professionals arrive to install your new system, you can break down your home into zones and gain the ability to control the temperature in each area precisely. For example, you may create different kitchen and bathroom zones because the kitchen gets more sunlight and the bathroom usually feels too cold.
It is a good idea to pair a zoned system with smart thermostats. A smart thermostat has a number of key features to help regulate the temperature in your home. Instead of constantly having to adjust temperatures in different rooms, you can rely on these devices to help keep comfort levels consistent.
Using an app, you can set the temperature for each zone, and your HVAC system will automatically adjust to meet those temperature goals. You can also set specific times for certain heating and cooling needs. For example, if you are usually at work all day, you can set the temperature to be higher or lower while you are away to save on energy costs. Additionally, instead of coming home and waiting for your HVAC system to cool or heat your home to your desired temperature, you can program your smart system to adjust your home’s comfort level prior to your arrival.
Smart thermostat technology can also track trends in your home. This feature can be helpful because you can use the reports it produces to identify problematic areas. For example, you can put thicker curtains in a room that is consistently too hot in summer or address poor insulation in a space that gets too cold in winter. Based on the data, you can make changes to reduce utility bills and monitor how much of an effect your adjustments have made.
Contact the Professionals
At Wild West Plumbing, Heating & Cooling, we are a locally owned business that has been serving the residents of Kalispell, Montana and the surrounding areas since 1986. We install, maintain, and repair heating and cooling systems. In addition, we provide indoor air quality and plumbing services like hydrojetting, sewer repair, and leak detection. If you are experiencing any issues with your HVAC system, such as hot or cold spots, contact us today to schedule an appointment with one of the expert team members.
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