Cold Spots in Your Home: Ghosts or HVAC Problems?

It’s spooky season! October is a time for ghosts, zombies, and other supernatural creatures, so it makes sense to assume that the cold spots in your home are due to the paranormal. However, as much fun as it is to curl up with a horror movie and use ghosts to explain away this phenomena, it can actually indicate a problem with your HVAC system. So when certain spots in your home start to get chilly, should you call Ghostbusters or Stack? We’ll give you a hint: the answer is usually not Ghostbusters. Here are a few reasons that you may have cold spots in your home, and what to do about it.

Air Leaks

If your cold spots are near a window or door, you may have a leak that’s letting in cold air. It may be a small leak, so don’t rely solely on visual inspection to let you know whether you have a leak or not. Instead, run your hand over the edges of your windows and doors and feel for any spots that feel colder than the others. If you find any, try sealing up the window or door with a weather-sealing foam.

Blocked Air Vents or Ducts

Which rooms are having issues with cold spots in your home? You may have a blocked vent or duct in that room. If you’re running your heat but it doesn’t seem to reach a particular room or spot, make sure that your vents are all open and that there’s nothing blocking them. Sometimes, a piece of furniture or carpet can block vents and prevent air from blowing through the room. 

Dirty Air Filters

Dirty air filters can have a similar effect as blocked air ducts. Too much dirt and dust in your air filters can cause your HVAC system to work harder, which can reduce efficiency and airflow. If your HVAC system is working too hard to get warm air through your home, that can lead to cold spots and inconsistent temperatures throughout the building. Don’t forget to change your air filter often (every three weeks to three months, depending on how many pets you have and whether or not you have allergies). 

Duct Damage

If you’ve made sure that no air vents are blocked, you don’t have air leaks from your windows or doors, and your air filters are clean, you may have a bigger problem on your hands. Ducts are supposed to be sealed all the way around, but they can develop leaks just like any other part of your HVAC system. When that happens, 20-30% of the air moving through your ducts can be lost, meaning that energy is wasted and your home may experience cold spots. If you suspect duct damage but aren’t sure what to look for, you can call an HVAC professional like Stack to come and take a look. 

HVAC Equipment is the Wrong Size

If your HVAC equipment is undersized, it may not have enough power to heat your entire home, leading to inconsistencies in temperature (i.e. cold spots). You’d think having a bigger HVAC system would be a good thing, but having a system that’s too big for your home can cause problems as well. If your system is too big, it will heat your home too quickly, leading to cold spots and inconsistency in temperatures. Your best bet if that’s the case is to replace the entire system with something that fits your home better.

Do You Suspect Ghosts?

Don’t call Ghostbusters- call Stack Heating, Cooling, Plumbing & Electric in Cleveland, Ohio! We are Cleveland’s experts on all types of heating systems and can perform HVAC inspections to locate the source of your cold spots. We want you to know that your family’s safety and comfort is our number one priority, as it always has been. We are taking all necessary precautions and following CDC guidelines to keep our customers and employees healthy. We’ve been serving the Cleveland area for over 40 years, and we’re not going anywhere. Give us a call at (440) 937-9134 or visit us on our website today and find out what we can do for you!