Avoid AC Repair in Southwest Florida with These Expert Tips
Southwest Florida residents know all too well how essential air conditioning is to their day-to-day comfort during the hot and humid summer months. As one of the largest heating and cooling companies in the region, BHS is always looking out for the home comfort needs of our customers. We’re here to educate people about air balancing and how it can help them avoid hot and cold spots inside their home. Air balancing involves testing and adjusting your air conditioning unit until you find the “sweet spot” offering more consistent indoor temperatures. Everyone should invest the time necessary for air balancing because it ensures your system is running at its peak performance, cutting down on energy costs and emergency AC repair costs as well. With a more energy-efficient HVAC system delivering equal amounts of hot and cold air to each room of your house, you’ll be on your way to improved air circulation and better indoor air quality in no time. Here are 15 ways to avoid hot and cold spots:
1. Harmony in the Home by Opening & Closing Registers
A harmonious home is one free of hot and cold spots from room to room. Sometimes the key to balancing your system is as simple as opening and closing registers. During the hotter months, we suggest opening registers on the upper floors of your home and closing the registers on your lower levels, including the basement, since heat rises. During the cooler winter months, we suggest doing the opposite. In rooms with cold spots, don’t be afraid to adjust the registers to restrict the amount of airflow when your air conditioning is running. Always make adjustments in small increments and give them at least 24 hours at a time until you reach your desired level of comfort.
2. Change Your Air Filters Regularly to Keep Them Clean
We cannot stress the importance of changing your HVAC system’s air filters regularly to keep them clean. Clean filters not only improve your indoor air quality, but they also help extend the life of your system by making it run more efficiently. Improved airflow from an energy-efficient system will help you eliminate those hot and cold spots!
3. Consider a Two-Degree Offset to Your Thermostat
Does your home feature separate thermostats for each story? If so, this trick will come in handy. Try adjusting the temperature on your top story by two degrees according to the season. During cooler weather, ensure your top floor remains at least two degrees lower than the bottom floor. In the summer, try the reverse offset. You’d be amazed at the difference just two degrees make when balancing indoor temperatures!
4. Invest in Window Treatments for Your Home
Window coverings (curtains, blinds, drapes, or shades) are a homeowner’s advantage for more reasons than just privacy. They can help you create a more energy-efficient dwelling by limiting the amount of direct sunlight entering your Southwest Florida home throughout the sweltering summer months. During the winter, opening your window coverings and allowing the sunshine in helps your home stay warmer without overworking your heating system.
5. Keep the Areas Around Vents Clear for Better Airflow
Vents allow air to flow through your ducts and out the registers into your rooms. When you block vents with bulky furniture, you’re preventing them from doing their job. Over time, this can lead to energy inefficiencies and an overworked heating and cooling system. As a rule of thumb, always give your vents at least 18 inches of space.
6. Adjust Your Ceiling Fans or Install Them in Your Home
Does your home have ceiling fans? Ceiling fans help improve air circulation to increase your home comfort. However, you need to pay attention to the direction they’re circulating. They should operate counterclockwise during the summer to give a room a cool downward circulation of air. In the winter, you should have them operating in a clockwise motion to help distribute warmer air in a room.
7. Don’t Be Daft, Check for Drafts Throughout Your Home
If your home has drafts with heat leaking out through your windows and doors, this can create cold spots throughout your rooms. Be sure everything is sealed adequately for maximum energy-efficiency. Look for broken windows and door seals throughout your home.
8. Be Considerate with the Placement of Large Electronics
You should be careful of where you place large electronic items relative to your thermostat and vents. Large flat-screen televisions and computers generate a lot of heat while they’re turned on, which can impact a room’s temperature more than you might initially think.
9. Adjust Your Home’s Thermostat Settings to “On” Feature
Having your thermostat set to automatic settings can allow your indoor air quality to suffer over time. When you adjust it to the “on” setting, fresh air will be blown into rooms continuously, increasing the air quality and your comfort level to boot. However, you may notice a spike in your energy bills.
10. Have Best Home Services’ Technicians Inspect Your Ducts
You could be experiencing hot and cold spots because of dirty or damaged ducts preventing an even air distribution throughout your home. Not to worry. BHS provides air duct cleaning services in Southwest Florida. We’ll examine your ducts for signs of wear-and-tear, leaks, mold growth, and more to give your HVAC system a clean bill of health.
11. Have Your Home’s Insulation Professionally Examined
Insulation plays an integral role in a home’s energy-efficiency. If you suspect your insulation may be subpar for the task, get it professionally evaluated to identify problem areas and make adjustments.
12. Inspect and Adjust Your AC Unit’s Blower Fan Speed
Your AC unit has a blower fan that can have its speed altered if you know how to do so safely. You could also rely on BHS for air conditioning services anywhere in Southwest Florida. As part of our commitment to your home comfort, we specialize in air conditioning maintenance, inspections, and repairs, and we’d be happy to look at your blower fan’s speed for you.
13. Consider Installing Digital Programmable Thermostats
Digital programmable thermostats help you maximize energy-efficiency by giving you remote control of thermostat settings even when you’re not at home. You can adjust thermostat settings to have your air run at certain times of the day to help you minimize energy waste and eliminate hot and cold spots.
14. Is Your Southwest Florida Home in the Zone Yet?
Zoning allows homeowners to divide their homes into various zones that are each equipped with their own thermostat. Sometimes part of proper air balancing is being able to adjust multiple zones of the house to heat up cold spots and cool down warm spots until you’re comfortable in every zone.
15. Is It Time for an HVAC System Replacement Altogether?
One final consideration regarding hot and cold spots in the home could be the size and age of your HVAC system. If your system is past its prime or you have a unit that’s too small or too large for your home, this could be causing your energy inefficiency. Does your system cycle too frequently or make noises? It’s likely trying to tell you something. Let us help you select the right air conditioner!
Could Your Southwest Florida Home Benefit from Air Balancing?
Would you like to learn more about the benefits of air balancing for your Southwest Florida home? BHS would be happy to help you test and adjust your air conditioning unit for optimal efficiency. Since 1980, home and business owners in the region have relied on our skills and expertise with HVAC systems. We have experienced technicians who are equipped with the knowledge and tools to examine your unit’s intake and output to make the necessary adjustments to improve your home comfort. Please contact us today to schedule a service appointment anywhere in Southwest Florida, including Sarasota, Naples, Tampa, and Fort Myers. You can count on us for gimmick-free service and a well-balanced system. However, should you ever require 24-hour AC repair, we’ve got you covered in emergencies too!
