Does this sound familiar? You’re in your bedroom and feel like you need to bundle up in your comforter to get warm. Whereas when you enter the kitchen, you’re too warm and open a window. In some homes, especially ones with two stories or a lot of square footage, it can be a challenge to maintain a consistent room temperature. Let’s explore some reasons for this dilemma, as well as ways to fix it.
Ductwork Problems
Your HVAC system is a complicated piece of equipment. A small problem might seem like a trivial thing, but it could lead to significant repercussions. Such is the case with the ductwork. The ducts are how air and heat flow through your home, so if they are the wrong size or blocked, you’ll end up with inconsistent room temperature. Even worse, improper-sized ducts can end up costing big bucks when the evaporator coils freeze up or overheat.
And what if your ducts are leaking? You can lose up to 30% of airflow due to leaks and cracks. Of course, the leaks could be at any place along with ductwork, which will result in differing temperatures across the house.
Solution: Have your ductwork inspected to ensure it fits and is in good working order.
Older, Insufficient Insulation
Do you have an older home? While historic homes are charming, they can lack some of the creature comforts we tend to take for granted in newer construction. One big thing that can cause a ton of grief is insufficient insulation. You’ll no doubt increase your energy consumption during our cold winters and hot summers; that in itself is a pain. But what if one room has decent insulation while another doesn’t? That puts you right where you don’t want to be: with inconsistent room temperature.
Solution: Have an energy assessment completed on your home to determine where additional insulation is needed.
Big Homes Create Room Temperature Problems
A bigger home needs extra help to keep the temperature consistent throughout. That’s usually because one HVAC unit cannot manage the whole place. This is true for ranch homes with a large one story as well as for two-story residences.
The farther from the unit, the more inconsistent results will be. That’s because it takes longer for air to get through the ducts. And if you’re in a two-story home, upstairs will invariably be warmer than downstairs since heat rises.
Remember that the thermometer only measures room temperature near it. In a large home, room temperature will vary greatly, and just because the thermometer says one thing in the hallway, that’s no guarantee it will feel that warm or cool in another room.
Solution: You can solve most of these issues by doubling up on things. Two thermometers and two HVAC units will reduce the amount of space air has to travel. This is especially effective with a two-story home.
Suffering from Inconsistent Room Temperature Problems?
If you’re in the predicament of carrying a jacket with you and having to dress in layers inside your own home, you clearly have an issue. Contact the HVAC professionals at Forrest Anderson so we can help you determine what’s at the root of the problem and how we can help you be comfortable, no matter what season it is or in what room of your home you are.
Contact Forrest Anderson Today!
