Why Are There Hot and Cold Spots in My House?

Why does your upstairs feel like a sauna while your downstairs feels like an igloo?

Hot and cold spots in your home are common, but they’re also extremely annoying. If you feel like you’re switching seasons when you’re switching rooms, there are a few explanations to these inconsistent temperatures in your home.

Your HVAC unit is not the right size for your home.

If your unit is too small, it works overtime to heat and cool your home. On the other hand a unit that is too large could also leave you hot or cold because one area of the home may be heated or cooled more than needed. Units that are not the right size make it hard to have steady temperatures and humidity levels in your home, leading to those sauna-like and igloo-like areas.

Your ductwork or house is not well-insulated.

Ductwork is usually made of metal, and the ducts could lose some of the hot or cool air when traveling to rooms farther away from the unit. Or, if your ducts are exposed, such as in attics or basements, they might not be as well-insulated.

If your ductwork is insulated well, but your home is not well-insulated, some rooms will be warmer or cooler than others. For example, a room on the west side of your home may be warmer than one on the north side of your home, because the direct sunlight in the afternoon causes the room to be warm in the evenings and your poor old air conditioner can’t keep up.

Check for air leaks around your home as well. Windows, doors and attic stairs are all culprits in losing all the air you paid to ‘condition’. Air leaks combined with poor insulation make the perfect recipe for inconsistent temperatures in your home.

Your home isn’t properly zoned.

Hot and cold spots in your home may be because of improper zoning. With a zoning system, you can individually control the temperatures of “zones” in your home individually, rather than setting the temperature for your whole house. This increases comfort , saves money on your heating and cooling bills. keeps everyone from fighting over the thermostat (even Dad!).

Inconsistent temperatures in your home are annoying, and you don’t have to live with them. Cool down the sauna and melt that igloo by fixing those fluctuating temperatures. For more information on how to stabilize the temperature in your home, give ask us to have a comfort consultant come visit your home at no charge. You can call or schedule your next visit online.