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 much colder. Several causes could be to blame for this home comfort problem. Here, we’ll explore what could be triggering these temperature imbalances and provide tips on how you can solve the issue.

Closed or Blocked Vents

Your problem: Your furnace moves warm air throughout your home in air and return registers. If these are obstructed or covered up, the restricted air movement creates hot and cold zones in your home.

How to fix it: Make sure 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, mats 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 coming out, there may be a problem with a damper or the duct isn’t forcing 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 keep your air 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 will be colder.

How to fix it: Check and change the air filter every 30-90 days, especially in the winter when the heating system runs often.

Your Home Has Poor Insulation

Your problem: Inadequate home insulation lets warm air seep out of your home, especially from rooms exposed to outside walls or your attic. This makes certain rooms more difficult to keep as warm as you’d like, 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 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 notorious for letting cold air into your home, cooling the indoor temperature. This problem is most often seen in older homes, which commonly have windows and doors that don’t close as snug as they need to.

How to fix it: Stop drafts in and around doors and windows with weatherstripping or caulk. Thermal 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.

Duct Leaks Are Letting Warm Air Out

Your problem: Ductwork delivers heated air to your entire home. If your ductwork has a crack, 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 Service Experts Heating, Air Conditioning & Plumbing to inspect your ductwork for breaks, which can often be sealed with duct tape or mastic sealant. In more severe cases, you may need air duct repair.

Your Thermostat Is Giving Misleading Readings

Your problem: The thermostat controls the heating system throughout your home. If it’s in a drafty or unusually sunny spot, it may give distorted 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 windy window or heat-generating appliance, you may want to move it to another area of your home. An HVAC technician 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 read your home’s average temperature. For extra convenience, consider a smart thermostat, which gives you remote temperature control and customized heating schedules.

Your Furnace Is the Wrong Size

Your problem: A furnace that’s too small may have difficulty heating all of your residence, making some areas colder than others. On the other end of the spectrum, a furnace that’s too big often runs frequently, causing 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 specialist evaluate 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 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.

Heat Only Reaches Some Floors of Your Home

Your problem: Heat rises, which means the second floor of your home is often heated while the main floor is colder.

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 dampers. This way, you can redirect warm air exactly where you want.

It’s Time for Routine HVAC Maintenance

Your problem: Like any machine, your furnace needs regular checkups to function smoothly. Without routine care, your HVAC system may experience issues that lower energy efficiency and stop 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 lead to potentially costly performance issues or total breakdowns.

Trust Service Experts Heating, Air Conditioning & Plumbing for Furnace Services in the U.S.

No one likes to spend time in a cold 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 fast, dependable 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.