Don’t Settle for Hot and Cold Spots in Your Home

Homeowners, you don’t need to settle for heat or cool discomfort in your home when there are many options to either correct or supplement your home heating and cooling system.

First, how did it get that way? Perhaps you just bought a new home. Assuming the windows, doors, and walls are properly insulated and you still have hot and cold areas, depending upon the season, it may be a ductwork issue. A heating and cooling system design should consider the size of equipment and size and location of ducts and registers for each level of the home. If a room has a cold spot, it may be that the trunkline (metal ducts attached to the ceiling of the basement) was not designed to consider air velocity. Heating and cooling installers can measure the amount of air going to various registers. Some industry heating and cooling installation best practices include:

• Duct system design should consider the whole home heating and cooling distribution, including calculation of the airflow pathway.
• Calculation of heat loss to ensure a heating and cooling system is sized correctly. A system that’s oversized will not save you money.
• Return air system is hard ducted and sealed, depending on the location of the air duct.
• Elimination of building cavities or addition of airtight sealing on floor joists and studs typically used in traditional construction.
• Knowledge that the use of building cavities for return air can result in air quality problems, higher energy usage, and building structure failures.
• Usage of transfer grills or jump ducts to ensure return air from all rooms.

The benefits of proper installation of a heating and cooling duct system during the construction phase are great and will provide lasting comfort and energy efficiency.

Ways to Improve an Existing Ductwork System

Once ductwork is installed, it can be difficult to change, but there are things we can do to improve the system airflow.

Here are some options:

• Increase return drop for better air distribution.
• Install a zoning system.
• Use ductless mini splits for areas of the home that do not have ductwork.

If you’re building a new home, require the builder to ask heating and cooling contractors the following:

• Are they licensed and insured?
• How much experience do they have in the industry?
• Do they have references?
• Do they guarantee their work and offer warranties?

Request a quality installation with a heating and cooling contractor who has experience with the brand that is being installed.

Call us today at 608-838-7300 to schedule a free appointment with an All Comfort Services Comfort Consultant to learn more about heating and cooling comfort options.

Jay Elert

Jay has been a comfort consultant with All Comfort Services since 2012. Jay grew up on the east side of Madison and has been in the HVAC industry since 1998. He studied HVAC at Madison College for four years and is a journeyman pipefitter. Jay is one of the three Comfort Consultants who will visit your home when you need a free in-home estimate on a home heating and air conditioning solution.
“When I started working in this industry, one of the things I was surprised to learn was that, according to Consumer Reports, ‘seven out of ten home heating and air conditioners are not properly installed,” says Jay. “I know how important it is to have a system properly installed and want to make sure customers have the best performing system that works for their home.”