Nine Reasons Your Home Isn’t Heating Evenly
Does your home heat unevenly? Heating unevenly happens when some rooms feel nice and cozy while others are significantly colder. Several reasons could be to blame for this heating challenge. Here, we’ll help you learn what could be causing these temperature imbalances and show you how to fix the issue.
Air Vents Aren’t Open
Your problem: Your furnace distributes heated air throughout your home via supply and return registers. If these are obstructed or covered up, the restricted airflow creates warm and cold areas in your home.
How to fix it: Confirm that all the vents are open, especially if certain rooms feel like they aren’t getting enough heat. Next, check to make sure there aren’t any furniture, mats or drapes hindering airflow. If a room is too warm, make sure the registers in the other rooms are clear and feel like they are putting out the same amount of air. If a register is clear but not a lot of air is coming out, there may be a problem with a control mechanism or the duct isn’t routing the air to the right place.
A Clogged Air Filter Is Straining Your HVAC System
Your problem: Your furnace air filter collects and removes dust, pollen and other airborne particles so that your air is clean. However, a blocked filter filled with these particles can severely restrict airflow, making your heating system work harder and causing uneven heating. If warm air can’t get through easily, rooms farther from the system feel colder.
How to fix it: Check and swap out the furnace’s air filter every 30-90 days, especially in the winter when the heating system operates often.
There’s Not Enough Insulation in Your Home
Your problem: Inadequate home insulation lets warm air seep out of your home, especially from rooms exposed to outside walls or the attic. This makes some rooms challenging to heat, even when the rest of the home seems comfortable.
How to fix it: Shore up your attic insulation to keep heat from rising out of your home. If your existing insulation is in good shape, you may be able to simply layer additional insulation right on top of it.
Drafty Doors and Windows Are Letting Cold Air In
Your problem: Single-pane windows and old, thin doors are often to blame for letting cold air into your home, cooling the indoor temperature. This problem is most often seen in older homes, which commonly have windows and doors that don’t close as snug as they need to.
How to fix it: Stop drafts in and around doors and windows with weatherstripping or caulk. Heavy-duty curtains and thermal blinds also help prevent cold air from getting in your home. However, if these simple fixes aren’t enough to prevent cold spots in your home, it may be time to look into replacing your windows and exterior doors.
There’s a Leak in Your Air Ducts
Your problem: Ductwork transports heated air throughout your home. If your ductwork has a crack, warmth can leak out of the ducts before it gets to some rooms of your home.
How to fix it: Hire an HVAC professional like one of our team members at Service Experts Heating, Air Conditioning & Plumbing to inspect your ductwork for breaks, which can often be sealed with duct tape or mastic sealant. In more severe cases, you may need duct replacement.
You Need to Move Your Thermostat
Your problem: The thermostat controls the heating system in your home. If it’s in a drafty or unusually warm spot, it may give misleading readings, causing your HVAC system to run at the wrong times—and lead to uneven temperatures.
How to fix it: If your thermostat is near a windy window or energy-producing appliance, it might be a good idea to find a new place for it. An HVAC specialist from Service Experts Heating, Air Conditioning & Plumbing can help you move it to an area more representative of your home’s actual temperature where it can more accurately gauge your home’s average temperature. For extra convenience, choose a smart thermostat, which gives you remote temperature control and customized heating schedules.
You Need a Different Size of Furnace
Your problem: A furnace that’s too small may struggle to heat all of your residence, leaving some areas colder than others. On the other hand, an oversized furnace often runs frequently, leading to temperature fluctuations and increased wear and tear that can shorten the lifetime of your HVAC system.
How to fix it: Have a heating and cooling specialist assess your home’s furnace size compared to your home’s size, the climate where you live, the home’s R-value, windows and other factors. If your furnace is mismatched, think about upgrading to the right size for better heating performance and energy efficiency.
Heat Only Reaches Some Floors of Your Home
Your problem: Heat rises, so the second floor of your home can be heated while the main floor is chilly.
How to fix it: Zoning your heating system is a way for you to control the temperature in different rooms with separate thermostats and ductwork dampers. This way, you can direct warm air where you need it.
Your Furnace Needs a Tune-Up From a Pro
Your problem: Like any machine, your furnace needs regular checkups to operate smoothly. Without routine care, your HVAC system may develop issues that reduce efficiency and prevent it from heating your home evenly.
How to fix it: Schedule professional maintenance for your heating system annually—if possible in the fall before the heating season begins. Regular maintenance also helps spot and fix issues before they become potentially costly performance issues or catastrophic breakdowns.
Trust Service Experts Heating, Air Conditioning & Plumbing for Furnace Services in the U.S.
No one likes to be in a chilly room. If an easy fix doesn’t do the trick, count on Service Experts Heating, Air Conditioning & Plumbing to get the job done properly. Our ACE-certified technicians provide quick, trustworthy solutions to all your comfort needs backed by a 100% satisfaction guarantee. Don’t let a stubbornly cold room get you down—call 866-397-3787 today to schedule the U.S. furnace services with the Experts at Service Experts Heating, Air Conditioning & Plumbing.
