Hot and cold spots at home create a permanent state of discomfort for you and your family. Whether it's a cool Dunwoody night or a scorching Marietta afternoon, you'll face the challenge of adjusting HVAC controls to counteract the changes in temperature as you move from one room to another. This problem usually indicates weaknesses in your home's insulation and ductwork, though other factors may contribute to the effect. Here are ways to provide comfort and continuity for your entire home.
Effects of Air Leaks at Home
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) notes what a large impact drafty rooms can have on home performance. Leaks in the building's envelope allow heat and cool air from HVAC equipment to literally fly out the window. Reducing these air leaks can save you between 5 and 30 percent on energy costs.
Rooms that felt warmer or colder than others may have poor weatherstripping, insulation that's deteriorated or old windows that are letting outside air, which makes your HVAC system work overtime. To determine which of these factors may be causing these temperature shifts, you need to conduct a home inspection.
The Cause of Hot and Cold Spots
The DOE identifies home audits as the best way for homeowners to begin to tackle the problem of hot and cold rooms. As a homeowner, you can feel out the weak spots in your home, but you need a professional to give you the complete picture with an energy audit.
Advanced inspection techniques include the blower door test that identifies leaks, infrared thermometers to pinpoint soft spots for insulation and a scan of carbon monoxide levels. Building Performance Institute (BPI) technicians have advanced methods of detecting air leaks, outdated insulation, underachieving HVAC equipment and the root cause of other energy drains. In effect, these audits give you the full picture rather than a snapshot of a single weak link in your home.
Addressing Drafts and Hot Spots
When home auditors present their findings on your home, you'll see a list of recommendations ranging from must-do items to projects that would make your home run at peak efficiency. Sealing leaky ductwork and reinforcing insulation come at a lower fee than wholesale HVAC or window replacement. Government incentive programs allow Georgia homeowners to offset the cost of investments when they buy products of qualifying efficiency standards. Check with your energy company before making a decision on which item to address first.
Once you have sealed leaks in ductwork, windows, insulation and weatherstripping, you will probably find that your discomfort in certain rooms ends. However, natural elements may continue to haunt your home. To combat these effects, consider upgrading to HVAC zone controls. This system provides you with a command center to control the temperature in individual rooms. You'll be able to manage hot and cold spots without issue, and you will have the opportunity to save money on rooms where no HVAC energy should be spent. Because zone controls are accessible online, you can monitor energy use from any Internet-connected device.
Whether you choose to gain high-tech control over every room or simply seal air leaks, the process should start with an energy audit by pro technicians. Call Reliable Heating & Air for the quickest solutions for maintaining the temperature you want.
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