Nine Reasons Your Home Isn’t Heating Evenly

Does your home heat unevenly? Heating unevenly occurs when some rooms feel nice and cozy while others are much colder. Several culprits could be to blame for this temperature problem. Here, we’ll explore what could be triggering these temperature imbalances and provide tips on how you can solve the problem.

Air Vents Aren’t Open

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

How to fix it: Make sure all your home’s vents are clear of obstructions, especially if some rooms feel like they aren’t getting enough warm air. 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 uncovered and feel like they are putting out about the same amount of air. If a register is clear but not a lot of air is flowing from it, there may be a problem with a valve 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 traps dust, pollen and other airborne particles to provide clean and healthy air in your home. However, a dirty filter filled with these particles can significantly reduce airflow, making your furnace work harder and leading to uneven heating. If warm air can’t get through easily, rooms farther from the heat source feel colder.

How to fix it: Inspect and replace the furnace’s air filter every 30-90 days, especially in the winter when your home’s heating system works a lot.

Your Home Needs More Insulation

Your problem: Inadequate home insulation lets warm air seep out of your home, especially in rooms exposed to outside walls or your attic. This makes some rooms challenging to keep as warm as you’d like, even when the rest of the home feels comfortable.

How to fix it: Enhance your attic insulation to prevent heat from escaping from your home. If the material currently insulating your home is in good shape, you may be able to simply add more 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 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 used to.

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 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 carries heated air to your entire 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 leaks, which can often be sealed with metal tape or mastic sealant. In more severe cases, you may need air duct repair.

Your Thermostat Is in a Bad Spot

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 result in uneven temperatures.

How to fix it: If your thermostat is near a cold window or heat-generating 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 read your home’s average temperature. For extra convenience, opt for a smart thermostat, which allows for remote temperature control and personalized 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, making some rooms colder than others. On the other end of the spectrum, an oversized furnace often runs frequently, resulting in 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 Expert assess 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 levels, 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, so the second floor of your home can be heated while the main floor is chilly.

How to fix it: Zoning your heating system allows you to control the temperature in different parts of your home using separate thermostats and ductwork controls. This way, you can direct warm air exactly where you need it.

Your Furnace Needs a Tune-Up From a Pro

Your problem: Like any system with moving parts, your furnace needs regular checkups to function smoothly. If you neglect to do routine care, your HVAC system may experience issues that reduce 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 spot and fix issues before they result in potentially expensive performance issues or total breakdowns.

Trust Service Experts Heating, Air Conditioning & Plumbing for Furnace Services in the U.S.

No one likes to be in a ice-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 right. Our ACE-certified technicians provide fast, trustworthy 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.