Tips for Managing Hot and Cold Spots in Your Home

Why can’t the household thermostat, once it’s set at your desired temperature, heat or cool your entire home to that setting without any problem? In most homes, this is a pipe dream. Hot and cold spots persist no matter where you set the thermostat. One family member might be perfectly comfortable in one room, while another is freezing downstairs, and another is sweating up in the loft.

Why Do Hot and Cold Spots Persist in a Home?

• Elevation is a huge factor in multi-level homes. Heat rises, which means upper floors and finished attics get much warmer than the main floor. Likewise, the finished basement will be cooler than the rest of the house and without humidity control, will be damper, too.
• Distance from the central heating or cooling system is also an important factor in creating hot and cold spots. If a room is at the opposite end of the home from the furnace or A/C air handler, it will be more difficult to heat or cool. The conditioned air loses some of its heat or coolness traveling to its destination. Leaky ducts also will impair efficient delivery of conditioned air.
• Other reasons for hot and cold spots include varying levels of air leakage or insulation in different parts of a home, different building materials in add-on rooms, the type of window coverage in a room or area, and a room’s orientation to the sun.

Addressing Hot and Cold Spots

Ideally, you should consider installing a zoning System—a setup where a home is divided into different climate zones, each with a dedicated thermostat and duct damper. Control the temperature in each zone so it’s not affected by conditions in another part of the house.

Or consider a home weatherization project that addresses inconsistencies in air sealing and insulation.

At Sobieski Services, Inc., our goal is to help our customers in Delaware, Pennsylvania, Maryland and New Jersey learn more about energy and home comfort issues – especially HVAC and plumbing issues – so that they can save money and live in healthier, more comfortable homes.

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