When your home is not as consistently cool as you would like it to be, and there are hot spots in some areas or some room, one potentially solution is to redirect the airflow from your air conditioning. That way you can take that cool air and redirect it to where it is most needed.
We suggest that you call your HVAC technician to help you redirect the air, as they may have other solutions to fix your system. Or they should know which solution will work best without making your air conditioning less efficient. There are three main solutions they may consider.
1. Install a Vent Deflector
Naturally, the cold air that your air conditioner generates ends up pouring directly out of your home’s vents. When these are floor vents, that means they pour cold air up. But, you can add a vent deflector to capture that air and send it across the floor instead. This may mean that the air is more directed towards a warmer spot in your home.
Most vent deflectors are plastic and shaped kind of like a tiny soccer net, but the next part is solid plastic. You can install these yourself, they should just pop right onto the vent, or they may need to be screwed in place.
2. Use a Ventilation Hose
Sometimes in older homes or those with poorly designed ventilation systems, the air that gets to further rooms is much warmer than it should be by the time it arrives there. The cool air may largely end up in a room that is before it in terms of the ducting. You can use ventilation hose to connect the warmer vent closer to the air conditioner, allowing it to deliver colder air.
3. Make an Air Exit
Sometimes a vent runs through the warm space at an optimal spot, but no one installed an air exit to allow the cold air to actually get into the room. Adding one of these exits can fix this problem. For this task, just like with adding ventilation hose, you may want to ask for a professional’s help to ensure it is done properly.
When Not to Redirect your Air Conditioning
There are some circumstances where redirecting your air conditioning won’t fic your problem or may cause other issues with the system. You should not redirect your air conditioning, at least not by yourself if:
- Size is the issue: If your air conditioner is too small for your home, it doesn’t matter if you direct your air to different spots. There will always be a spot that it too hot and your air conditioner won’t be very efficient anyway. The only solution here is to get an air conditioner that is the right size.
- You have zone cooling or heating: Zone cooling and heating is an elaborate system that should provide just the right temperature in different spots of your home. If you tamper with the vents, you could upend the system. You need a professionals help instead.
We suggest that you reach out to a professional who can understand the specifics of your system and how best to get your home consistently cool.
