Nine Reasons Your Home Isn’t Heating Evenly

Does your furnace struggle to heat your entire home evenly? Heating unevenly is when some rooms feel warm while others are noticeably colder. Several causes could be to blame for this heating challenge. Here, we’ll help you learn what could be behind these temperature imbalances and show you how to resolve the problem.

Air Vents Aren’t Open

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

How to fix it: Ensure 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, carpets or curtains 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 open but not a lot of air is flowing from it, there may be a problem with a damper or the duct isn’t forcing 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 so that your air is clean. But a blocked filter filled with these particles can significantly reduce airflow, making your furnace work harder and resulting in uneven heating. If warm air can’t get through easily, rooms farther from the system can be colder.

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

There’s Not Enough Insulation in Your Home

Your problem: Inadequate home insulation allows heat to escape, especially from rooms exposed to outside walls or the attic. This makes certain rooms more difficult to heat, even when the rest of the home feels comfortable.

How to fix it: Enhance your attic insulation to stop heat from rising out of your home. If your existing insulation 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, drafty doors are a common culprit for letting cold air into your home, disrupting the indoor temperature. This problem is most often seen in older homes, which frequently 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 with insulation strips or caulk. Insulated curtains and thermal blinds also help prevent cold air from getting in your home. However, if 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 all the rooms in your home. If your ductwork has a leak, warmth 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 leaks, which can often be sealed with metal tape or mastic sealant. In more severe cases, you may need to replace the ducts.

Your Thermostat Is in a Bad Spot

Your problem: The thermostat regulates the heating system in your home. If it’s in a windy or unusually hot 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 energy-producing appliance, it might be a good idea to find a new place for it. An HVAC professional 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 gauge your home’s average temperature. For extra convenience, consider a smart thermostat, which gives you remote temperature control and customized heating schedules.

You Need a Different Size of Furnace

Your problem: A furnace that’s too small may not heat all of your residence, making some areas colder than others. On the other end of the spectrum, an oversized furnace often turns on and off continuously, 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 professional 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 oversized or underpowered, 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 is sometimes warm 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 multiple thermostats and ductwork controls. This way, you can send 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 operate smoothly. Without 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 starts. Regular maintenance also helps identify and fix issues before they grow into 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 chilly 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 quick, trustworthy 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.