Have you ever asked yourself “Why is my room so hot”? Having a room or two in your home that is hotter than the rest is not only annoying and uncomfortable, but it is also wasting your money with unnecessarily high energy bills. Here in Charlotte NC, we need an escape from the hot and humid summers, and if you have a room or two that you just can’t seem to cool off, that’s literally throwing money out the window. There are several reasons that can cause this to happen and in the next little bit, we will take a look at some of these problems and give a solution so that your home can become more energy efficient and you can start saving on your monthly energy bills.
1. Poor Insulation
If your home is poorly insulated then it will be hard to maintain comfortable temperatures throughout. Properly insulated and ventilated attics are necessary for keeping the cooler air in and hotter attic air out. When your attic does not have sufficient insulation and is not air-sealed then hot air can flow freely between the attic and your rooms. Having insulation installed to the proper depth to get the R-value ( a measurement of a material’s ability to resist heat) needed for your climate zone will block heat transfer between spaces. When attics are properly insulated it allows for better ventilation through the roof which helps cool the attic, which also allows your HVAC system to work the way it should because it does not have to fight against such extreme temperatures while transferring cooler air through the ducts. Furthermore, the exterior walls of your home need to be insulated properly to keep down the radiating heat from the sun beating down on your walls. Call a professional insulation contractor for an energy efficiency audit to see if your home’s insulation is doing its job or costing you money every month.
2. Windows And Doors
Windows and doors play a big part in your home’s aesthetics, but can also be a big player in your home’s inefficiencies. Big beautiful windows that let all that natural light pour in also allow the heat to follow. Glass itself is an inefficient insulator so windows generally are made with multiple layers of glass filled with gas to reflect as much heat and UV light as possible. Over time the seals can deteriorate allowing the gas to escape and leaving your windows no longer heat-resistant. Doors and windows, being on the outside of your home, have air seals that are exposed to the elements. These seals will degrade over time making large gaps that allow hot outside air to freely enter the home. Hot air entering your home through all these gaps rises to the highest areas such as upstairs bedrooms making them hotter than the other rooms downstairs. Having new windows and doors professionally installed or having your existing windows and doors air-sealed can greatly reduce the amount of hot air entering and circulating throughout your home.
3. Room Layout
The location and layout of certain rooms in your house can play a role in why it’s always so much hotter than others. Hot air rises so it is much more likely that upstairs rooms will be harder to keep comfortable than others. For instance, a north-facing, downstairs room that has few windows and gets little sunlight will maintain cooler temperatures easier than a bonus room with lots of windows that’s above a garage and surrounded by attic spaces. In these cases, not much can be done besides making sure your room is air sealed and insulated to the highest standards and possibly adding a ductless air conditioning system that mounts high on the wall and can give your room better air circulation and more cool air being pumped in.
4. Faulty Vents and Clogged Ducts
Lots of homes have their HVAC ductwork in their attic. High attic temperatures heat the ductwork from the outside while the air conditioning unit is trying to pump cool air through the duct causing the air leaving the vents to be only a fraction of the temperature it should be. This also causes your HVAC system to run constantly and wear out much more quicker. Ducts that are clogged restrict the amount of air that can pass through them making it harder for cooled, conditioned air to reach rooms. Broken and faulty vents play a big role in this also. If one room is hotter than the other it could be that the vents in that room are broken or blocked, not allowing air to pass through freely, keeping the room uncomfortable. The vent and ductwork system has to be working properly or you could be fighting a losing battle. Having a professional HVAC technician evaluate your home’s vents and ductwork for cleanliness and proper function can bring comfort to those hot rooms.
These are just a few of the several reasons why one room in your house may be hotter than others. When all the things discussed above are working properly and in unison with each other, they can greatly improve the comfort of that stubborn room. At Thermal Shield Insulating we serve the greater Charlotte NC area to bring a variety of services such as; Whole Home Air Sealing, Blown-in Attic Insulation, Attic Ventilation, and more. Contact us today for a Home Energy Audit and see if we can help you save money on your home energy costs!
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