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Air conditioning fans

smudgie@1005 | Posted in General Questions on

Hello Mr. Holladay,

My house is located in central Florida. It is a two story house and has additional vents in the hallway and each bedroom. All but one shoots out cold and the other shoots out hot (right in the circulation path to the thermostat).They are and are facing the walls. I was told to by a friend to cover the one that shoots hot air so it doesn’t keep the thermostat running.

Is this safe to cover it up or is the hot vent meant to do this?

Why were they installed, facing the walls, and why is one shooting out hot air?

Thank you for your time with my concern.

Sincerely,

Tim

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Replies

  1. GBA Editor
    Martin Holladay | | #1

    Tim,
    If one of your forced-air supply registers is delivering hot air during cooling season, something is seriously wrong with your air conditioning system.

    If you are handy, you can diagnose the problem yourself. If you aren't, you should call up an HVAC contractor to inspect your system and repair the problem.

    The two most obvious possibilities that come to mind are (a) you have a heat pump system with electric-resistance backup heat, and your heating strip is coming on when it shouldn't, and (b) one of the ducts in your attic is disconnected, and your attic is (for some unexplained reason) pressurized.

    That said, there are several other possible explanations. None of us can diagnose your problem without a site visit. Get it fixed.

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