Nine Reasons Your Home Isn’t Heating Evenly
Are some rooms in your home colder than others? Heating unevenly happens when some rooms feel warm while others are noticeably colder. Several culprits could be to blame for this temperature challenge. Here, we’ll explore what could be behind these temperature imbalances and show you how to resolve the problem.
Air Vents Aren’t Open
Your problem: Your furnace moves heated air throughout your home using supply and return registers. If these are obstructed or shut, the restricted air movement creates warm and cold areas in your home.
How to fix it: Make sure all the 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 furniture, rugs or curtains obstructing airflow. If a room is too warm, make sure the vents in the other rooms are open and feel like they are putting out a similar amount of air. If a register is unobstructed but not a lot of air is coming out, there may be a problem with a control mechanism or the duct isn’t routing 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 to provide clean and healthy air in your home. However, a dirty filter filled with these particles can severely restrict airflow, making your heating system 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 furnace’s 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 seep out of your home, especially from rooms exposed to outside walls or the attic. This makes certain rooms challenging to heat, even when the rest of the home is nice and comfortable.
How to fix it: Update your attic insulation to prevent 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.
Drafty Doors and Windows Are Letting Cold Air In
Your problem: Single-pane windows and old, drafty doors are notorious for letting cold air inside, disrupting the indoor temperature. This problem is most common in older homes, which frequently have windows and doors that don’t seal as snug as they should.
How to fix it: Prevent 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. 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.
Duct Leaks Are Letting Warm Air Out
Your problem: Ductwork carries heated air to your entire home. If there’s 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 breaks, which can usually be sealed with metal tape or mastic sealant. In more severe cases, you may need to replace the ducts.
Your Thermostat Is Giving Misleading Readings
Your problem: The thermostat manages the heating system throughout 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, you may want to move it to another area of your home. An HVAC specialist 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 allows for 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 rooms colder than others. On the other hand, an oversized furnace often runs frequently, causing temperature fluctuations and higher wear and tear that can shorten the lifetime of your heating and cooling system.
How to fix it: Have a heating and cooling specialist assess the size and capacity of the furnace in your home compared to your home’s square footage, the climate where you live, the home’s insulation quality, 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.
Heating Challenges of Multilevel Homes
Your problem: Heat rises, which is why the second floor of your home is often warm while the main floor is colder.
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 dampers. This way, you can send 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 maintenance to work smoothly. Without routine care, your HVAC system may end up with issues that reduce efficiency and prevent 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 kicks off. Regular maintenance also helps spot and fix problems before they cause potentially costly performance issues or major breakdowns.
Trust Service Experts Heating, Air Conditioning & Plumbing for Furnace Services in Canada
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 correctly. Our ACE-certified technicians provide efficient, reliable 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 Canada furnace services with the Experts at Service Experts Heating, Air Conditioning & Plumbing.