Five Tips To Evenly Heat Your Home
Posted on: 19 October 2020
Uneven heating can make certain rooms in your home uncomfortably hot or cold. It can also drive up your heating bills. The following strategies can help you avoid these issues.
1. Check the Registers
Closed registers are one of the most common reasons for uneven heating. Check all floor and wall registers to make sure they are open and that the vents are angled so that the warm air blows into the room instead of against the wall. If the angle of the vents can't be changed, there are register covers available that help redirect the airflow into the room.
2. Offset Floor Temperatures
Uneven heating is often an issue in multi-story homes. This is because hot air travels upward, so the second floor may seem too warm while the lower floor is too cold. You can help even out the temps by installing separate thermostats so that the two floors are on different heating zones. Then, set the lower thermostat to two degrees higher than your desired temperature, and set the upper thermostat to 2 degrees lower. The offset helps even out the temperature.
3. Seal Drafty Areas
Air drafts will compromise even heating and drive up your energy bills. Check the weatherstripping around doors and windows every fall and replace any that is no longer sealing well. If you can't seal up a drafty door or window well, use draft dodgers along the threshold. These are stuffed tubes that provide a temporary seal but are easily moved when you need to use the door.
4. Clean Your Furnace
A dirty furnace may not work as efficiently as it should. This can result in poor airflow to the rooms furthest from the system, which means they won't heat as well as those closer to the furnace. Schedule an annual service every fall. Your HVAC service will check the ducts for air leaks, and then they can fully tune and clean the furnace so that it will heat your home evenly and efficiently this winter.
5. Remove Any Restrictions
Sometimes things block airflow in a room, so you end up with cold spots. Don't place furniture or other large items within 18 inches of a vent or register or else the air path may be blocked. Furniture and rugs should never be placed over floor vents, and curtains and wall hangings must not block wall vents.
Contact an HVAC service to learn more about how to maintain even warmth in your home this winter.
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