Nine Reasons Your Home Isn’t 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 cooler. Several culprits could be to blame for this heating problem. Here, we’ll explore what could be causing these temperature imbalances and provide tips on how you can resolve the issue.

Closed or Blocked Vents

Your problem: Your furnace circulates warm air throughout your home in vent and return registers. If these are closed or shut, the restricted air circulation creates hot and cold areas in your home.

How to fix it: Make sure all your home’s vents are open, especially if certain rooms feel like they aren’t getting enough warm air. Next, check to make sure there aren’t any furnishings, mats or blinds hindering airflow. If a room is too hot, make sure the vents in the other rooms are clear and feel like they are putting out 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 valve or the duct isn’t directing the air to the right place.

Your HVAC System Has a Dirty Air Filter

Your problem: Your furnace air filter collects and removes dust, pollen and other airborne particles so that your air is 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 will be colder.

How to fix it: Look over and swap out the air filter every 30-90 days, especially in the winter when the heating system operates a lot.

Your Home Has Poor Insulation

Your problem: Inadequate home insulation lets warm air leak out, especially in rooms along outside walls or your home’s attic. This makes these rooms challenging to keep as warm as you’d like, even when the rest of the home is nice and comfortable.

How to fix it: Shore up your attic insulation to prevent heat from leaving your home. If the insulation in your home now is in good shape, you may be able to simply layer additional insulation right on top of it.

Cold Air Is Getting in Through Doors and Windows

Your problem: Single-pane windows and old, drafty 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 fit as snug as they should.

How to fix it: Stop drafts in and around doors and windows by installing sealing tape or caulk. Heavy-duty curtains and thermal blinds also help prevent cold air from getting in your home. When 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.

You Have Leaky Ductwork

Your problem: Ductwork delivers heated air throughout your home. If there’s 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 cracks, which can usually be sealed with duct tape or mastic sealant. In more severe cases, you may need to replace the ducts.

Your Thermostat Is Giving Misleading Readings

Your problem: The thermostat controls the heating system in your home. If it’s in a drafty or unusually warm spot, it may give distorted 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-emitting appliance, it might be a good idea to find a new place for 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 Home Has an Incorrect Furnace Size

Your problem: A furnace that’s too small may have difficulty heating all of your home, making some areas colder than others. On the other hand, an oversized furnace often runs frequently, causing temperature fluctuations and increased wear and tear that can shorten the lifetime of your heating and cooling system.

How to fix it: Have a heating and cooling professional evaluate 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 R-value, windows and other factors. If your furnace is oversized or underpowered, consider upgrading to the right size for better heating performance and energy efficiency.

Heating Challenges of Multilevel Homes

Your problem: Heat rises, which is why the second floor of your home is often warm 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 multiple thermostats and ductwork valves. This way, you can direct warm air where you need it.

It’s Time for Routine HVAC Maintenance

Your problem: Like any appliance, your furnace needs regular tune-ups to function smoothly. If you neglect to do routine care, your HVAC system may experience issues that lower energy efficiency and stop 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 spot and fix problems before they result in 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 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 fast, dependable solutions to all your comfort needs backed by a 100% satisfaction guarantee. Don’t let a stubbornly cold room 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.