Nine Reasons Your Home Isn’t Heating Evenly
Does your furnace struggle to heat your entire home evenly? Heating unevenly is when some rooms feel comfortably warm while others are noticeably colder. Several culprits could be to blame for this heating problem. Here, we’ll help you learn what could be causing these temperature imbalances and show you how to fix the problem.
Air Vents Aren’t Open
Your problem: Your furnace distributes heated air throughout your home via supply and return registers. If these are blocked or shut, the restricted airflow creates warm and cold areas in your home.
How to fix it: Ensure all the vents are unblocked, especially if some rooms feel like they aren’t getting enough warmth. Next, check to make sure there aren’t any furnishings, rugs or drapes hindering airflow. If a room is too warm, make sure the registers in the other rooms are uncovered and feel like they are putting out a similar amount of air. If a register is open but not a lot of air is flowing from it, there may be a problem with a damper or the duct isn’t forcing the air to the right place.
Your HVAC System Has a Dirty Air Filter
Your problem: Your furnace air filter catches dust, pollen and other airborne particles to keep your air clean. However, a dirty filter filled with these particles can severely restrict airflow, making your heating system work harder and resulting in uneven heating. If warm air can’t get through easily, rooms farther from the heat source can be colder.
How to fix it: Check and swap out the air filter every 30-90 days, especially in the winter when your heating system works overtime.
There’s Not Enough Insulation in Your Home
Your problem: Inadequate home insulation lets warm air leak out, especially from rooms exposed to outside walls or your attic. This makes certain rooms challenging to heat, even when the rest of the home feels comfortable.
How to fix it: Shore up your attic insulation to prevent heat from rising out of your home. If the insulation in your home now is in good shape, you may be able to simply add more on top of it.
Drafty Doors and Windows Are Letting Cold Air In
Your problem: Single-pane windows and old, leaky doors are often to blame for letting cold air inside, putting a chill on the indoor temperature. This problem is most prevalent in older homes, which frequently have windows and doors that don’t fit as snug as they need to.
How to fix it: Avoid drafts in and around doors and windows by installing insulation strips or caulk. Insulated curtains and thermal blinds also help keep cold air out of your home. If you find that these simple fixes aren’t enough to prevent cold spots in your home, consider replacing your windows and exterior doors.
You Have Leaky Ductwork
Your problem: Ductwork carries heated air to all the rooms in your home. If your ductwork has a crack, warmth can leak out 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 usually be sealed with metal tape or mastic sealant. In more severe cases, you may need duct replacement.
You Need to Move Your Thermostat
Your problem: The thermostat regulates the heating system throughout your home. If it’s in a windy or unusually hot 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 professional from Service Experts Heating, Air Conditioning & Plumbing can help you move it to a more central location where it can more accurately read your home’s average temperature. For extra convenience, choose a smart thermostat, which gives you remote temperature control and programmable heating schedules.
Your Furnace Is the Wrong Size
Your problem: A furnace that’s too small may struggle to heat all of your residence, making some rooms colder than others. On the other hand, a furnace that’s too big often turns on and off continuously, causing temperature fluctuations and higher wear and tear that can shorten the lifetime of your heating and cooling system.
How to fix it: Have a heating and cooling professional assess the size and capacity of the furnace in your home compared to your home’s square footage, the climate where you live, the home’s insulation quality, windows and other factors. If your furnace is mismatched, consider upgrading to the right size for better heating performance and energy efficiency.
Heating Challenges of Multilevel Homes
Your problem: Heat rises, so the second floor of your home can be heated while the main floor is colder.
How to fix it: Zoning your heating system allows you to control the temperature in different areas with separate thermostats and ductwork dampers. This way, you can send warm air where you need it.
Your Furnace Needs a Tune-Up From a Pro
Your problem: Like any machine, your furnace needs regular tune-ups to operate smoothly. Without routine care, your HVAC system may develop issues that lower energy efficiency and prevent it from heating your home evenly.
How to fix it: Schedule professional maintenance for your furnace annually—preferably in the fall before the heating season starts. Regular maintenance also helps detect and fix issues before they become potentially expensive performance issues or total breakdowns.
Schedule Furnace Services in the U.S. Today with Service Experts Heating, Air Conditioning & Plumbing
No one likes spending time in a chilly room. If you aren’t able to fix this yourself, count on Service Experts Heating, Air Conditioning & Plumbing to get the job done right. Our ACE-certified technicians provide efficient, dependable solutions to all your comfort needs backed by a 100% satisfaction guarantee. Don’t let an uncomfortably chilly 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.
