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 colder. Several causes could be to blame for this home comfort challenge. Here, we’ll help you learn what could be behind these temperature imbalances and provide tips on how you can solve the issue.

Something’s Blocking Your Home’s Vents

Your problem: Your furnace distributes heated air throughout your home using supply and return registers. If these are obstructed or shut, the restricted airflow creates hot and cold zones 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 warm air. Then, check to make sure there aren’t any decor, rugs or drapes obstructing airflow. If a room is too warm, make sure the registers in the other rooms are open 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 Air Filter Is Clogged

Your problem: Your furnace air filter traps dust, pollen and other airborne particles so that your air is clean. But a dirty filter filled with these particles can significantly reduce 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 replace the furnace’s air filter every 30-90 days, especially in the winter when your heating system operates overtime.

There’s Not Enough Insulation in Your Home

Your problem: Inadequate home insulation allows heat to escape, especially from rooms along outside walls or your home’s attic. This makes some 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: Shore up your attic insulation to prevent heat from leaving your home. If your existing insulation is in good shape, you may be able to simply layer additional insulation right on top of it.

Drafty Doors and Windows Are Letting Cold Air In

Your problem: Single-pane windows and old, leaky doors are a common culprit for letting cold air into your home, putting a chill on the indoor temperature. This problem is most prevalent 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 sealing tape or caulk. Heavy-duty curtains and thermal blinds also help prevent cold air from getting in your home. If you find that these simple fixes aren’t enough to prevent cold spots in your home, consider replacing your windows and exterior doors.

There’s a Leak in Your Air Ducts

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

Your Thermostat Is in a Bad Spot

Your problem: The thermostat regulates the heating system throughout your home. If it’s in a cold or unusually warm spot, it may give inaccurate readings, causing your HVAC system to run at the wrong times—and create uneven temperatures.

How to fix it: If your thermostat is near a drafty window or energy-producing 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 better place where it can more accurately gauge your home’s average temperature. For extra convenience, choose a smart thermostat, which gives you remote temperature control and programmable heating schedules.

Your Home Has an Incorrect Furnace 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, a furnace that’s too big often turns on and off continuously, causing temperature fluctuations and higher wear and tear that can shorten the lifetime of your HVAC system.

How to fix it: Have a heating and cooling professional 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 quality, windows and other factors. If your furnace is too small or large, 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, which means the second floor of your home can be heated 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 rooms using separate thermostats and ductwork valves. This way, you can send warm air exactly where you need it.

It’s Time for Routine HVAC Maintenance

Your problem: Like any system with moving parts, your furnace needs regular tune-ups to function smoothly. Without routine care, your HVAC system may end up with issues that lower energy efficiency and prevent it from heating your home evenly.

How to fix it: Schedule professional maintenance for your furnace annually—if possible in the fall before the heating season kicks off. Regular maintenance also helps spot and fix problems before they become 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 efficient, 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.