Cold Rooms? Nine Ways to Fix a Home That’s Heating Unevenly
Does your home heat unevenly? Heating unevenly happens when some rooms feel warm while others are much cooler. Several reasons could be to blame for this heating challenge. Here, we’ll explore what could be behind these temperature imbalances and provide tips on how you can solve the issue.
Closed or Blocked Vents
Your problem: Your furnace moves heated air throughout your home in air and return registers. If these are obstructed or shut, the restricted air circulation creates warm and cold zones in your home.
How to fix it: Ensure all your home’s vents are unblocked, especially if certain rooms feel like they aren’t getting enough heat. Then, check to make sure there aren’t any furnishings, mats or curtains hindering airflow. If a room is too hot, make sure the vents in the other rooms are open and feel like they are putting out a similar amount of air. If a register is clear but not a lot of air is coming out, there may be a problem with a damper 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 to keep your air clean. But a dirty filter filled with these particles can severely restrict airflow, making your furnace 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 air filter every 30-90 days, especially in the winter when the heating system runs often.
Your Home Has Poor Insulation
Your problem: Inadequate home insulation allows heat to seep out of your home, especially from rooms along outside walls or your attic. This makes some rooms harder to heat, even when the rest of the home is nice and comfortable.
How to fix it: Shore up your attic insulation to stop heat from leaving 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, drafty doors are often to blame for letting cold air into your home, putting a chill on the indoor temperature. This problem is most common in older homes, which commonly have windows and doors that don’t close as snug as they need to.
How to fix it: Prevent drafts in and around doors and windows with sealing tape 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, you may want to think about replacing your windows and exterior doors.
Duct Leaks Are Letting Warm Air Out
Your problem: Ductwork transports heated air to all the rooms in your home. If an air duct has a crack, warm air can leak out of the ducts before it gets to some rooms of your home.
How to fix it: Hire an HVAC specialist 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 duct tape or mastic sealant. In more severe cases, you may need to replace the ducts.
You Need to Move Your Thermostat
Your problem: The thermostat manages the heating system throughout your home. If it’s in a windy or unusually sunny 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 heat-generating 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 measure your home’s average temperature. For extra convenience, consider a smart thermostat, which allows for remote temperature control and programmable 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 rooms colder than others. On the other end of the spectrum, a furnace that’s too big often runs frequently, resulting in temperature fluctuations and higher wear and tear that can shorten the lifetime of your HVAC system.
How to fix it: Have a heating and cooling specialist evaluate your home’s furnace size compared to your home’s size, the climate where you live, the home’s insulation levels, windows and other factors. If your furnace is too small or large, you may opt for upgrading to the right size for better heating performance and energy efficiency.
Your Home Struggles to Heat Multiple Levels
Your problem: Heat rises, so the second floor of your home can be heated while the main floor is cool.
How to fix it: Zoning your heating system allows you to control the temperature in different parts of your home with multiple thermostats and ductwork valves. This way, you can send warm air where you need it.
You Need to Schedule Regular HVAC Maintenance
Your problem: Like any appliance, your furnace needs regular maintenance to work smoothly. If you neglect to do routine care, your HVAC system may end up with issues that lower energy efficiency and stop it from heating your home evenly.
How to fix it: Schedule professional maintenance for your furnace annually—if possible in the fall before the heating season starts. Regular maintenance also helps identify and fix problems before they result in potentially expensive performance issues or catastrophic breakdowns.
Schedule Furnace Services in the U.S. Today with Service Experts Heating, Air Conditioning & Plumbing
No one likes to spend time in a ice-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 quick, reliable solutions to all your comfort needs backed by a 100% satisfaction guarantee. Don’t let another cold spot ruin your comfort—call 866-397-3787 today to schedule the U.S. furnace services with the Experts at Service Experts Heating, Air Conditioning & Plumbing.
