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

Does your home heat unevenly? Heating unevenly happens when some rooms feel nice and cozy while others are much chillier. Several reasons could be to blame for this temperature challenge. Here, we’ll explore what could be triggering these temperature imbalances and show you how to solve the issue.

Something’s Blocking Your Home’s Vents

Your problem: Your furnace moves warm air throughout your home using air and return registers. If these are blocked or covered up, the restricted air circulation creates warm and cold spots in your home.

How to fix it: Confirm that all the vents are unblocked, especially if certain rooms feel like they aren’t getting enough warmth. Next, check to make sure there aren’t any furnishings, mats or blinds blocking airflow. If a room is too warm, make sure the vents 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 routing 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 to keep your air clean. But a dirty filter filled with these particles can drastically lower airflow, making your furnace work harder and resulting in 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: Inspect and change the air filter every 30-90 days, especially in the winter when your heating system works often.

Your Home Needs More Insulation

Your problem: Inadequate home insulation lets warm air leak out, especially in rooms along outside walls or the attic. This makes some rooms challenging to keep as warm as you’d like, even when the rest of the home feels comfortable.

How to fix it: Enhance your attic insulation to keep heat from escaping from your home. If the material currently insulating your home 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 often to blame for letting cold air inside, putting a chill on the indoor temperature. This problem is most common 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 with insulation strips or caulk. Thermal 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, you may want to think about replacing your windows and exterior doors.

Duct Leaks Are Letting Warm Air Out

Your problem: Ductwork carries heated air to your entire home. If your ductwork has a hole, warmth can escape 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 leaks, which can often be sealed with metal tape or mastic sealant. In more severe cases, you may need duct replacement.

Your Thermostat Is Giving Misleading Readings

Your problem: The thermostat controls 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 heat-emitting 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 personalized heating schedules.

You Need a Different Size of Furnace

Your problem: A furnace that’s too small may have difficulty heating all of your home, making some areas colder than others. On the other end of the spectrum, an oversized furnace often runs frequently, causing temperature fluctuations and increased wear and tear that can shorten the lifetime of your heating and cooling system.

How to fix it: Have a heating and cooling Expert evaluate your home’s furnace size compared to your home’s square footage, the climate where you live, the home’s insulation levels, windows and other factors. If your furnace is oversized or underpowered, 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 is why the second floor of your home is sometimes heated while the main floor is chilly.

How to fix it: Zoning your heating system is a way for you to control the temperature in different areas using separate thermostats and ductwork valves. This way, you can send warm air exactly where you want.

Your Furnace Needs a Tune-Up From a Pro

Your problem: Like any appliance, your furnace needs regular checkups to work smoothly. When you don’t provide routine care, your HVAC system may experience issues that reduce efficiency and prevent it from heating your home evenly.

How to fix it: Schedule professional maintenance for your heating system annually—if possible in the fall before the heating season begins. 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 spend time in a ice-cold 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 fast, trustworthy solutions to all your comfort needs backed by a 100% satisfaction guarantee. Don’t let an uncomfortably chilly 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.