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Cold Rooms? Nine Ways to Fix a Home That’s Heating Unevenly

Does your furnace struggle to heat your entire home evenly? Heating unevenly happens when some rooms feel comfortably warm while others are significantly chillier. Several culprits could be to blame for this heating challenge. Here, we’ll explore what could be triggering these temperature imbalances and show you how to resolve the issue.

Closed or Blocked Vents

Your problem: Your furnace distributes heated air throughout your home via vent and return registers. If these are blocked or shut, the restricted air movement creates hot and cold zones in your home.

How to fix it: Ensure all the 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 blocking 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 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 catches dust, pollen and other airborne particles so that your air is clean. But a blocked filter filled with these particles can drastically lower airflow, making your furnace work harder and leading to uneven heating. If warm air can’t get through easily, rooms farther from the furnace or other heating system feel colder.

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

Your Home Needs More Insulation

Your problem: Inadequate home insulation allows heat to seep out of your home, 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: Shore up your attic insulation to prevent heat from leaving your home. If the insulation in your home now 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, leaky doors are a common culprit for letting cold air inside, disrupting the indoor temperature. This problem is most often seen in older homes, which commonly have windows and doors that don’t fit as snug as they need to.

How to fix it: Stop drafts in and around doors and windows by installing insulation strips or caulk. Thermal curtains and thermal blinds also help keep cold air out of 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 carries heated air throughout your home. If there’s a leak, warm air can leak out of the ducts 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 breaks, 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 controls the heating system throughout your home. If it’s in a windy or unusually warm 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 drafty 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 measure your home’s average temperature. For extra convenience, consider 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 not heat all of your home, making some areas colder than others. On the other hand, a furnace that’s too big often turns on and off continuously, resulting in 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 Expert evaluate your home’s furnace size compared to your home’s size, the climate where you live, the home’s R-value, windows and other factors. If your furnace is mismatched, think about 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 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 dampers. This way, you can direct warm air exactly where you want.

You Need to Schedule Regular HVAC Maintenance

Your problem: Like any system with moving parts, your furnace needs regular tune-ups to work smoothly. When you don’t provide routine care, your HVAC system may develop issues that reduce efficiency and hinder it from heating your home evenly.

How to fix it: Schedule professional maintenance for your furnace annually—preferably in the fall before the heating season begins. Regular maintenance also helps identify and fix problems before they become potentially expensive performance issues or catastrophic breakdowns.

Call the Experts at Service Experts Heating, Air Conditioning & Plumbing for Furnace Service in the U.S.

No one likes to be in a chilly room. If you aren’t able to fix this yourself, count on Service Experts Heating, Air Conditioning & Plumbing to get the job done properly. Our ACE-certified technicians provide quick, dependable solutions to all your comfort needs backed by a 100% satisfaction guarantee. Don’t let a stubbornly cold 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.

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