Indoor Comfort Enemies: Hot & Cold Spots
How are hot and cold spots important?
Hot and Cold spots create an environment where the occupant's temperature in a single room or area is uncomfortably hot or cold. This condition also makes it very likely that inefficient heating and cooling operation will occur. If a single area of a home is cold and the person occupying that cold room adjusts the heat to compensate, energy is being wasted. Likewise, if a room is hot and the rest of the home is properly air conditioned, cooling that room operates the cooling equipment more than is necessary. These situations waste a major amount of energy and add up to higher than necessary energy bills.
Hot and Cold spots have several causes. Some causes, like blocked air vents, may be easily remedied. The lack of adequate return air ducts is a leading cause that requires a professional duct
system analysis. Ideally, each room should have adequate supply and return ducting (many homes have only one return air duct, which is often inefficient). Other possible causes may require adjustment, redesign and possible repair to your heating and cooling equipment or ventilation system.
So what can you do?
- Get a System Inspection. This low-cost HVAC service will analyze and discern the exact cause of the hot or cold spot. Recommendations are provided to resolve any system problems, including hot and cold spots.
- Adjust furniture location. Even if an air vent is not blocked directly, the composition of furniture in the room may restrict air flow.
- Have a Duct Cleaning. A duct cleaning will usually help (but may not solve) the situation. The consultation you should receive with your duct cleaning service should include specific solutions to hot or cold spots in your home.