The colder months of the year are here, which means you’ll probably notice problems with your home’s furnace sooner than later. One of the most common heating problems in any home is uneven heating, which can cause some rooms to feel noticeably colder than others when the heat’s on.
There are several common reasons for uneven heating in any home. While many of them have something to do with your heater or HVAC system as a whole, there are other factors to consider. Taking everything into account and assessing your situation with the help of a Bay Heating & Air Conditioning expert can help you identify the causes of cold spots in your home and find solutions for them.
How Your Furnace Can Cause Cold Spots
If you notice uneven heating in your home, you’re not wrong to immediately consider your home’s furnace. Most of the time, this problem is caused by one or a combination of issues that affect your HVAC system.
1. Short Cycling
Short-cycling occurs when your furnace prematurely finishes a heating cycle, which delivers less heated air throughout your home. This problem can have many causes, such as overheated components, deteriorated flame sensors, a clogged flue, or any other issue that can tell the furnace that it’s done an adequate job when it really hasn’t.
You can easily notice short-cycling by taking note of when your furnace kicks on and how long it lasts. If your home is noticeably cold and your furnace only works for 10 minutes, it’s probably short-cycling. Call a professional heating technician to inspect your furnace for a diagnostic service and repair.
2. Dirty Air Filter
Believe it or not, a dirty air filter may be why your house is so cold. Air sucked into your furnace must first pass through a filter, which should be changed every three months. If this filter is dirty, debris can create a physical barrier that prevents enough air from reaching your furnace’s heating components. It can also cause your furnace to work a lot harder, which can trigger short-cycling behavior.
3. Blocked Air Vents & Ducting
When ducting and air vents are obstructed, it can cause cold spots because warm air can’t get to where it needs to go. Air vents are often blocked by furniture, so it’s a good idea to make sure any that you might have on the floor or low to the ground are free from obstruction. It’s also important to clean your air vents to make sure cobwebs and dust don’t build up and restrict airflow.
Air ducts can also become stuffed up by debris. This happens over time and as debris builds up, which makes cleaning your air filter on a regular basis all the more important. Air ducting can also get blocked up by nesting materials collected by rodents and birds that find their way into your home.
4. Thermostat Malfunction
Sometimes uneven heating is caused by a malfunctioning thermostat. When this device isn’t working properly, it can read incorrect temperatures that tell your furnace that your home is a lot warmer than it actually is, so it shuts down sooner than it would normally do so.
5. Your Furnace Is Underpowered
Furnaces aren’t one-size-fits-all devices. They are rated to heat certain spaces of certain sizes. If you recently replaced your furnace on your own or an inexperienced technician did a new installation, your furnace can be underpowered compared to what your home requires for even heating.
This means that nothing could be wrong with your furnace as far as how it operates, but you may need a more powerful one to heat your home.
Conclusion
There are many reasons why your home can feel colder than you expect it to feel after you turn on the heat. Some of these reasons may have to do with your HVAC system and furnace, which requires professional maintenance and repair services to address.
If you are experiencing heating issues in your home this winter, be sure to contact Bay Heating & Air Conditioning for help!