Uneven Heating: Here's Why It May Be Hitting Your House
A reliable and powerful heating system is necessary to make it through one of our Texas winters. But proper home heating requires something more than just heating power. After all, a furnace that can heat up air to a comfortable 72°F isn't much good if the heat doesn't go anywhere. That's why a central furnace has an air handler and a duct network. A problem that many homes face during winter with their heating is that heat isn't reaching all the rooms evenly, leading to cold spots.
The Causes of Uneven Heating
There are multiple sources for poor heating distribution around your house. Below we're going to look at some of the causes of this trouble in forced-air heating systems, such as furnaces and heat pumps. Boilers and other radiant heating systems have their own set of potential issues.
- Leaking ductwork: The furnace or heat pump and its air handler may be working just fine—but the problem is the hot air isn't getting to all the rooms because some is escaping through holes in the ductwork. This is one of the most common of HVAC issues; the ducts are hard to see and are often ignored until the leaks have created major problems. Duct leaks not only lead to uneven heating, they allow a drop in air pressure throughout the ventilation system and a spike in utility bills. Let our professional use the Aeroseal process to quickly close up those duct leaks.
- Short-cycling: This refers to a behavior in a heating system where it doesn't complete a full heating cycle. Instead, it turns on and off repeatedly over a short time. This puts immense wear and tear on the heater, and because it isn't staying on long enough, there isn't enough time to spread heat throughout the house. Short-cycling has a variety of causes, and it needs remedy as soon as possible.
- Faulty zone controls: Do you have a zone control system to regulate which rooms receive heated air? The uneven heating could mean the zone controls are malfunctioning, and dampers aren't opening, or room thermostats have failed.
- Miscalibrated thermostat: If the thermostat for a house isn't sensing the correct temperatures, it won't turn the heater on at the right times or run it long enough. Some rooms will still get the warmth they need, but others will be left cold. HVAC experts can easily recalibrate the thermostat so it accurately controls the heater.
- Failing heater: Uneven heating is one of the warning signs a furnace or heat pump is coming to the end of its service life. If the heater is past its manufacturer's expected lifetime for the unit, look into replacing it when you notice uneven comfort—the system may be losing its heating power. Our professionals can give you an honest answer about the cost-effectiveness of continuing repairs or putting in a new system.
No matter if you need heating repair in Waco, or it's time to replace the heater entirely, you can entrust the job to our skilled HVAC technicians!
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