Cold Rooms? Nine Ways to Fix a Home That’s Heating Unevenly
Does your furnace struggle to heat your entire home evenly? Heating unevenly is when some rooms feel comfortably warm while others are much chillier. Several causes could be to blame for this temperature challenge. Here, we’ll help you learn what could be behind these temperature imbalances and show you how to solve the issue.
Closed or Blocked Vents
Your problem: Your furnace moves warm air throughout your home using air and return registers. If these are closed or covered up, the restricted air circulation creates hot and cold spots in your home.
How to fix it: Ensure all the vents are open, especially if some rooms feel like they aren’t getting enough warm air. Then, check to make sure there aren’t any furniture, rugs or blinds obstructing airflow. If a room is too hot, make sure the registers in the other rooms are uncovered 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 directing the air to the right place.
Your HVAC System Has a Dirty Air Filter
Your problem: Your furnace air filter collects and removes dust, pollen and other airborne particles to provide clean and healthy air in your home. But a blocked 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 furnace or other heating system feel colder.
How to fix it: Look over and swap out 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 seep out of your home, especially in rooms along outside walls or your attic. This makes some rooms challenging to heat, even when the rest of the home seems 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.
You Have Drafty Windows and Doors
Your problem: Single-pane windows and old, drafty doors are notorious for letting cold air into your home, putting a chill on 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 need to.
How to fix it: Avoid drafts in and around doors and windows by installing insulation strips or caulk. Insulated curtains and thermal blinds also help block out the cold. 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.
Duct Leaks Are Letting Warm Air Out
Your problem: Ductwork delivers heated air to all the rooms in your home. If there’s a leak, warmth can escape before it gets to some rooms of your home.
How to fix it: Hire an HVAC specialist like one of our team members at Bryant Heating & Cooling Service Experts to inspect your ductwork for leaks, which can usually be sealed with duct 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 drafty or unusually sunny spot, it may give misleading readings, causing your HVAC system to run at the wrong times—and lead to uneven temperatures.
How to fix it: If your thermostat is near a cold window or heat-emitting appliance, think about relocating it. An HVAC professional from Bryant Heating & Cooling Service Experts can help you move it to an area more representative of your home’s actual temperature where it can more accurately read your home’s average temperature. For extra convenience, choose a smart thermostat, which allows for remote temperature control and customized heating schedules.
Your Home Has an Incorrect Furnace Size
Your problem: A furnace that’s too small may struggle to heat all of your residence, making some rooms colder than others. On the other hand, a furnace that’s too big often turns on and off continuously, resulting in temperature fluctuations and increased wear and tear that can shorten the lifetime of your HVAC system.
How to fix it: Have a heating and cooling specialist assess 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 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, so the second floor of your home is sometimes comfortable while the main floor is colder.
How to fix it: Zoning your heating system allows you to control the temperature in different rooms using multiple thermostats and ductwork dampers. This way, you can send warm air where you need it.
You Need to Schedule Regular HVAC Maintenance
Your problem: Like any appliance, your furnace needs regular maintenance to operate smoothly. Without routine care, your HVAC system may develop issues that reduce efficiency and prevent it from heating your home evenly.
How to fix it: Schedule professional maintenance for your heating system annually—ideally in the fall before the heating season kicks off. Regular maintenance also helps spot and fix issues before they become potentially expensive performance issues or total breakdowns.
Call the Experts at Bryant Heating & Cooling Service Experts for Furnace Service in Windsor
No one likes to be in a chilly room. If you aren’t able to fix this yourself, count on Bryant Heating & Cooling Service Experts to get the job done correctly. Our certified technicians provide quick, dependable solutions to all your comfort needs backed by a 100% satisfaction guarantee. Don’t let an uncomfortably chilly room get you down—call 226-773-3357 today to schedule Windsor furnace services with the Experts at Bryant Heating & Cooling Service Experts.