air conditioning problem ....?

Question

with my air conditioning unit i'm having a problem. In the winter my living room/ kitchen/ dining are very warm, but the rooms on the other end of the house are about 15 degrees cooler. also in the summer, my kitchen/ living room/ dining are nice and cool while other rooms are hot! i've been leaving the doors open to let the air circulate but i've had no luck getting my house one temperature. i have a small 3 bed 2 bath house ... so why is the temperature so inconsistent? i was thinking i might need to get the vents cleaned .... would that help?

i want to clarify that when i said i'm keeping the doors open ... i meant interior doors .... not ones that lead outside.

Answer 1

I've seen problems like this over and over again as an HVAC tech. Here is usually what I've found, depending on what your duct work is made out of:

Flexiable duct or insulation board: Check for signs of rodents wherever your duct work is located. These ducts are often a primary source of water for them and they will chew through the insulation to get at it, sometimes entirely through the duct work itself if it isn't sheet metal. Believe it or not, I've actually seen one or two chew through even that!

Sheet metal: If it's insulated on the inside rather than on the outside, it's possible that part of the insulation has torn off and plugged up the branch of ducts that cool/heat the problem area in your house.

Other possibilities of either type of duct is simply a disconnected trunk down the line that feeds the others to that problem portion of the house, usually due to old duct work and/or bad installation jobs that have eventually caught up.

My very last assumptions would be ductwork that is simply dirty or the need for airflow boosters. I don't recall going on a service call and diagnosing either one of these issues as the main problem of the type you're specifically dealing with.

Balancing with dampeners may work, but that's assuming both 1) there is no damage to the duct system and 2) the HVAC system never worked properly to begin with since the day it was installed.

Start looking for damage first. It's the most common problem. Then go from there.

Answer 2

The problem is with the initial installation of your duct system. Pipes are sized in accordance with room size, amount of windows, etc. It sounds as though your system is not what we call "balanced". In other words too much air (either heated or cool) is being delivered to the rooms in question. To correct your problem, you will need a dampening system installed. What this system does is open or shut off the air to that region. It can be as simple as adjusting an installer damper until the system is balanced or as complicated as having a regional thermostat for the affected area that activates the damper making it open or close automatically. Of course, the automatic dampering system costs much more then the manual. Call your HVAC contractor and get their opinion. This not a typical DIYer. Good luck.

Answer 3

Opening doors and windows won't help when you are trying to actively heat or cool your home. (When we do this, we usually shut our system off.)

You may find it necessary to adjust the vent openings. For instance have the ones furthest away wide open, and close the closer ones to half. This is free and may force the air to be more balanced for comfort. If that won't do it, there are booster fans that can be installed insode ductwork. But these aren't always a DIY type installation.

Replace your airfilter two to four times a year, depending on how dirty it gets. A clean filter will let more air pass easily and assist your circulation efforts.

Answer 4

You might try cracking some windows a little in the far rooms, also put down a box fan to move the cooler air into those rooms, cover the windows with a dark towel to keep the sun from radiating heat through the glass. Your air-conditioner is not big enough for all the rooms, so consider getting a small window unit to help cool the house, also try to trap the naturally cooler morning air and use your air-conditioner early in the morning so it won't have to work as hard to cool the house. Consider weatherstripping the windows and doors as well.

Answer 5

To have such a disparity in temperature, your insulation can't be sufficient. Call your utility company and request a survey of your house, the government subsidizes them to do this for free. Most things you can correct yourself, do this before you deal with the air conditioning.

Answer 6

Like turnhog said it's a load/balance problem.My company specializes in airflow issues.On an average
systems only run about 57% of their rated capiticy.Here's a link to find a company near you that can get the most out of your system.
www.nationalcomfortinstitute.com

Answer 7

I would check all airflow problem spots such as filter,cooling(evaporator)coil on entering air side,blower wheel dirty(fan blade) and check ductwork in attic.It should do the trick.
Service tech.-10yrs

Answer 8

sounds like you have a prob with your duct work.have it checked they may need to re-rout or even replace some of it

good luck