Nine Reasons Your Home Isn’t Heating Evenly

Does your furnace struggle to heat your entire home evenly? Heating unevenly occurs when some rooms feel comfortably warm while others are noticeably chillier. Several culprits could be to blame for this home comfort problem. Here, we’ll help you learn what could be causing these temperature imbalances and show you how to resolve the problem.

Something’s Blocking Your Home’s Vents

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

How to fix it: Confirm that all your home’s vents are open, especially if certain rooms feel like they aren’t getting enough warmth. Next, check to make sure there aren’t any furnishings, mats or curtains hindering airflow. If a room is too warm, make sure the registers in the other rooms are open and feel like they are putting out a similar amount of air. If a register is open 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 system can be colder.

How to fix it: Inspect and replace the air filter every 30-90 days, especially in the winter when your heating system works often.

There’s Not Enough Insulation in Your Home

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

How to fix it: Enhance your attic insulation to stop heat from escaping from your home. If your existing insulation 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 prevalent in older homes, which commonly have windows and doors that don’t close as snug as they used to.

How to fix it: Prevent drafts in and around doors and windows by installing sealing tape or caulk. Insulated 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, consider replacing your windows and exterior doors.

Duct Leaks Are Letting Warm Air Out

Your problem: Ductwork carries 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 technician 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 metal tape or mastic sealant. In more severe cases, you may need duct replacement.

Your Thermostat Is Giving Misleading Readings

Your problem: The thermostat controls the heating system throughout your home. If it’s in a drafty or unusually hot spot, it may give inaccurate 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 windy window or heat-generating appliance, you may want to move it to another area of your home. An HVAC professional from Service Experts Heating, Air Conditioning & Plumbing can help you move it to a more central location 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 personalized heating schedules.

Your Furnace Is the Wrong Size

Your problem: A furnace that’s too small may have difficulty heating all of your home, leaving some rooms colder than others. On the other hand, a furnace that’s too big often runs frequently, leading to temperature fluctuations and excessive wear and tear that can shorten the lifetime of your heating and air system.

How to fix it: Have a heating and cooling specialist 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 oversized or underpowered, you may opt for upgrading to the right size for better heating performance and energy efficiency.

Heating Challenges of Multilevel Homes

Your problem: Heat rises, so the second floor of your home is often heated while the main floor is colder.

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

It’s Time for Routine HVAC Maintenance

Your problem: Like any machine, your furnace needs regular maintenance to work smoothly. When you don’t provide 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—preferably in the fall before the heating season begins. Regular maintenance also helps identify and fix problems before they become potentially costly 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 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 fast, dependable solutions to all your comfort needs backed by a 100% satisfaction guarantee. Don’t let an uncomfortably chilly 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.