Now that you’re running your furnace regularly for the colder weather of winter, you expect to get heat all around the house. That’s why you have a central furnace, after all! Not every room will get to the same temperature because of the way heat rises and other factors, such as insulation. However, you have a good idea what an even spread of heat feels like when your furnace is on.
And right now … you’re not feeling it. Some places in the house are colder than others, and you’re hearing complaints from family. People are looking for space heaters, and you’re wondering if maybe you should crank up the thermostat.
Don’t do that: uneven heating is often a sign you need to have heating repair in Conway, AR from our pros. There are several different problems that may lie at the heart of the issue:
The air filter is clogged
If the furnace’s air filter is left in place for too long (such as over three months, although sometimes only a month will do it), it will clog the flow of air. When airflow is reduced, the furnace will not be able to heat up enough air to distribute it around the entire house, and the most distant rooms will receive less.
All it takes to fix this is to change the filter for a new one, and then keep up with a regular schedule to change it so this doesn’t happen again.
The thermostat isn’t working right
Sure, you can adjust it up and down and outwardly it all seems fine. But a thermostat can become miscalibrated so that it senses incorrect temperatures. If it registers that the house is warmer than it is, it will run the furnace for a shorter time, allowing the center of the house to warm up but not giving time to spread heat evenly.
As we mentioned above, pushing up the thermostat isn’t the answer, since the strain on the furnace could damage it and it will waste energy. You’ll need technicians to repair the furnace.
Leaking air ducts
The problem may come from the ventilation system attached to the furnace. If the ducts have air leaks, they’ll allow heated air to escape before it reaches some of the rooms. This is one of the commonest causes behind cold spots around a house.
The leaks will affect the furnace’s performance in general and waste money, so call to have professionals locate the leaks and seal them.
Broken zone controls
If your house has zone controls so you can control the temperature in different areas separately, the uneven heating may come from a repair need with the controls. It could be stuck dampers or broken room thermostats.
Failing furnace
The furnace may be coming to the end of its service life, and these cold spots are the early signs it can no longer reach full heating capacity. If you have a gas furnace that’s more than 15 years old, this uneven heating is a major sign that it’s time to replace it.
Ethics and customer satisfaction are at the forefront of our business at Dewees HVAC. Call today to get your furnace back in shape!