Nine Ways to Fix a House That’s Not Heating Evenly
Are some rooms in your home colder than others? Heating unevenly occurs when some rooms feel nice and cozy while others are much chillier. Several reasons could be to blame for this home comfort problem. Here, we’ll explore what could be causing these temperature imbalances and provide tips on how you can fix the issue.
Closed or Blocked Vents
Your problem: Your furnace distributes heated air throughout your home in supply and return registers. If these are closed or covered up, the restricted air movement creates warm and cold spots in your home.
How to fix it: Confirm that all your home’s vents are unblocked, especially if some rooms feel like they aren’t getting enough heat. Then, check to make sure there aren’t any furniture, carpets or blinds blocking airflow. If a room is too hot, make sure the registers in the other rooms are open and feel like they are putting out about the same amount of air. If a register is unobstructed but not a lot of air is flowing from it, there may be a problem with a control mechanism or the duct isn’t directing the air to the right place.
Your HVAC Air Filter Is Clogged
Your problem: Your furnace air filter traps dust, pollen and other airborne particles to keep your air clean. However, a dirty filter filled with these particles can significantly reduce airflow, making your heating system work harder and leading to uneven heating. If warm air can’t get through easily, rooms farther from the furnace or other heating system can be colder.
How to fix it: Look over and replace the air filter every 30-90 days, especially in the winter when the heating system works often.
Your Home Has Poor Insulation
Your problem: Inadequate home insulation allows heat to seep out of your home, especially from rooms exposed to outside walls or the attic. This makes certain rooms harder to heat, even when the rest of the home feels comfortable.
How to fix it: Enhance your attic insulation to keep heat from leaving your home. If your existing insulation is in good shape, you may be able to simply layer additional insulation right on top of it.
You Have Drafty Windows and Doors
Your problem: Single-pane windows and old, thin doors are often to blame for letting cold air inside, disrupting the indoor temperature. This problem is most common in older homes, which frequently have windows and doors that don’t close as snug as they should.
How to fix it: Stop drafts in and around doors and windows by installing insulation strips or caulk. Heavy-duty curtains and thermal blinds also help block out the cold. However, if these simple fixes aren’t enough to prevent cold spots in your home, you may want to think about replacing your windows and exterior doors.
There’s a Leak in Your Air Ducts
Your problem: Ductwork carries heated air to all the rooms in your home. If your ductwork has a leak, warmth can leak out of the ducts before it gets to some rooms of your home.
How to fix it: Hire an HVAC technician 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 air duct repair.
You Need to Move Your Thermostat
Your problem: The thermostat regulates the heating system throughout your home. If it’s in a drafty or unusually hot spot, it may give misleading readings, causing your HVAC system to run at the wrong times—and result in uneven temperatures.
How to fix it: If your thermostat is near a cold window or energy-producing appliance, think about relocating it. An HVAC technician from Service Experts Heating, Air Conditioning & Plumbing can help you move it to a better place where it can more accurately gauge your home’s average temperature. For extra convenience, consider a smart thermostat, which gives you remote temperature control and personalized 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 areas colder than others. On the other end of the spectrum, an oversized furnace often turns on and off continuously, leading to temperature fluctuations and excessive wear and tear that can shorten the lifetime of your HVAC system.
How to fix it: Have a heating and cooling professional assess your home’s furnace size compared to your home’s square footage, the climate where you live, the home’s R-value, windows and other factors. If your furnace is mismatched, you may opt for upgrading to the right size for better heating performance and energy efficiency.
Heat Only Reaches Some Floors of Your Home
Your problem: Heat rises, which means the second floor of your home is often warm while the main floor is cool.
How to fix it: Zoning your heating system allows you to control the temperature in different rooms with multiple thermostats and ductwork controls. This way, you can send warm air exactly where you want.
You Need to Schedule Regular HVAC Maintenance
Your problem: Like any machine, your furnace needs regular tune-ups to function smoothly. Without routine care, your HVAC system may experience issues that lower energy efficiency and hinder it from heating your home evenly.
How to fix it: Schedule professional maintenance for your furnace annually—ideally in the fall before the heating season starts. Regular maintenance also helps identify and fix issues before they cause 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 to be in a cold 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 fast, reliable solutions to all your comfort needs backed by a 100% satisfaction guarantee. Don’t let another cold spot 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.
