Nine Reasons Your Home Isn’t Heating Evenly

Are some rooms in your home colder than others? Heating unevenly occurs when some rooms feel warm while others are significantly chillier. Several reasons could be to blame for this temperature challenge. Here, we’ll help you learn what could be triggering these temperature imbalances and show you how to fix the issue.

Something’s Blocking Your Home’s Vents

Your problem: Your furnace circulates warm air throughout your home in air and return registers. If these are closed or covered up, the restricted airflow creates hot and cold zones in your home.

How to fix it: Ensure all your home’s vents are unblocked, especially if some rooms feel like they aren’t getting enough warm air. Then, check to make sure there aren’t any furniture, carpets or curtains hindering airflow. If a room is too hot, make sure the registers in the other rooms are clear 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 coming out, there may be a problem with a control mechanism or the duct isn’t directing the air to the right place.

A Clogged Air Filter Is Straining Your HVAC System

Your problem: Your furnace air filter traps dust, pollen and other airborne particles to keep your air clean. However, a clogged filter filled with these particles can significantly reduce airflow, making your furnace work harder and causing uneven heating. If warm air can’t get through easily, rooms farther from the system can be colder.

How to fix it: Check and change the furnace’s air filter every 30-90 days, especially in the winter when the heating system operates overtime.

Your Home Needs More Insulation

Your problem: Inadequate home insulation allows heat to leak out, especially from rooms exposed to 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 feels comfortable.

How to fix it: Shore up your attic insulation to prevent heat from escaping from 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.

You Have Drafty Windows and Doors

Your problem: Single-pane windows and old, thin 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 frequently have windows and doors that don’t seal as snug as they should.

How to fix it: Stop drafts in and around doors and windows with sealing tape or caulk. Thermal 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, you may want to think about replacing your windows and exterior doors.

There’s a Leak in Your Air Ducts

Your problem: Ductwork delivers heated air to your entire home. If your ductwork has a hole, 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 leaks, which can usually be sealed with duct tape or mastic sealant. In more severe cases, you may need duct replacement.

Your Thermostat Is Giving Misleading Readings

Your problem: The thermostat manages the heating system in 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 lead to uneven temperatures.

How to fix it: If your thermostat is near a cold window or heat-generating appliance, you may want to move it to another area of your home. An HVAC technician 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 read your home’s average temperature. For extra convenience, opt for a smart thermostat, which gives you remote temperature control and customized heating schedules.

Your Furnace Is the Wrong Size

Your problem: A furnace that’s too small may struggle to heat all of your home, making some areas colder than others. On the other end of the spectrum, 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 size, the climate where you live, the home’s insulation quality, windows and other factors. If your furnace is oversized or underpowered, consider 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 warm while the main floor is cool.

How to fix it: Zoning your heating system is a way for you to control the temperature in different areas with separate thermostats and ductwork dampers. This way, you can redirect warm air exactly where you need it.

Your Furnace Needs a Tune-Up From a Pro

Your problem: Like any appliance, your furnace needs regular tune-ups to operate 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 heating system annually—if possible in the fall before the heating season begins. Regular maintenance also helps spot and fix problems before they result in potentially costly performance issues or major 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 one of these simple fixes doesn’t solve the issue, count on Service Experts Heating, Air Conditioning & Plumbing to get the job done correctly. Our ACE-certified technicians provide quick, reliable 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.