Don’t Let These 7 HVAC Problems Make Your Older Home Uncomfortable

Older homes around Sneads Ferry, NC, often have some character to them and are usually less expensive to purchase. However, these homes also come with a host of problems, including those with the HVAC system. Consider these seven HVAC problems that can make your older home uncomfortable:

Leaky Ductwork

Ducts should last about 25 years, after which they may develop leaks due to multiple reasons. Conditioned air seeps out into areas you don’t intend to heat or cool when you have leaky ducts. The result is less of this air arriving around your home, leaving the spaces uncomfortable.

You can either have service technicians seal your ducts or replace them to resolve these leaks. Consider also insulating the ducts to prevent inadvertent heat transfer.

An Aging System

Aging systems work less efficiently than new systems, which means they won’t heat or cool your home as well. An average system should last 15-20 years for a furnace and 10-15 years for an air conditioner.

The aging system will have components that are operating suboptimally. This means that the system may not circulate enough air to properly move heat around effectively. It may also not properly condition the air before moving it out into your home.

Poor Air Quality

Older homes tend to have poor air quality without meticulous HVAC maintenance and regular duct cleaning. Dust and dirt collecting in the HVAC system cause this poor air quality, including what collects in the ducts themselves. On top of what’s collected in the system, the home’s construction materials are more likely to produce additional contaminants.

As the air moves through the system, it picks up some of these contaminants, reducing your home’s air quality. The best way to combat this is to clean your system and add extra filtration.

Outdated Thermostat

Unless your home has a recently updated HVAC system, you likely have an outdated manual thermostat. This regulates the temperature using a control that consists of a tube of mercury mounted to a metal coil. That coil loses its elasticity over time, reducing its sensitivity and ability to accurately reflect the temperature.

This results in wide temperature swings before the thermostat signals the cycles to stop and start. On the starting end, the result is noticeably uncomfortable air around your home. On the stopping end, your cycles will likely run too long, reducing efficiency and adding operational strain.

Restricted Airflow

Along with air quality, older homes typically have airflow issues. Clogs in the ductwork and dirty system components can cause these restrictions. Additionally, suboptimal system components, like the circulating fan motor, may reduce the air flowing through as well.

Single-Zone Setup

HVAC systems can heat and cool the entire house from a single thermostat, known as a single-zone setup. However, technology has evolved to allow the system to condition multiple zones with the proper HVAC components.

This allows different parts of the house to have varying temperature settings. It also ensures that the system directs the conditioned air to the parts of the house needing it.

If one part of the house gets a lot of sunlight, it may not need as much heat. If another part of the house gets a lot of shade, it may not need as much cooling.

Multiple zones provide greater efficiency for your energy consumption. It also ensures your home’s temperature stays more consistent from area to area.

Neglected Maintenance

Many older homes also lack proper HVAC maintenance over the years. This results in the system becoming dirty and reduces its heating and cooling efficiency. It also means the system has likely experienced excessive strain, with several parts needing repair.

Ideally, the HVAC system should have spring and fall maintenance. This includes system testing and optimization in addition to deep cleaning to keep everything working optimally.

Make sure your HVAC system is keeping your aging home comfortable throughout the year. Call to schedule your routine HVAC maintenance with one of our expert service technicians at Gideon Heating & Air Conditioning today.

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