The Problem: Uneven Heat
Do you have cold spots in your house? Hot spots (of the non-wifi variety)? If it seems like your furnace isn’t heating your home consistently, you’re not alone – at least, not in the Sioux City area. Many homes have varied conditions from room to room causing spotty heating and cooling. This makes the cold, windy winter days – y’know, the majority of an Iowa winter? – uncomfortable, even when you stay inside. Maybe you’re confined to only a few rooms in your home. Or maybe you find yourself cranking up the furnace, just to make the cold spots a little less frigid.
If you can’t be comfortable at home, where can you be? Here at CW Suter Services, we understand this, and we’ve made it our mission to help our customers achieve their #ComfortGoals.
What Causes Inconsistent Heating?
Here are seven furnace problems that might be causing uneven heat in your home:
1. Duct Problems
Leaky or blocked ducts can lead to patchy heating. Walk around inside your home and check for any heating vents that are being blocked by furniture or carpeting.
The inside of your ducts can become blocked with dirt and debris. Therefore, sometimes the fix is as easy as asking us to schedule a professional duct cleaning. Leaky ducts are a bit more serious, but easily addressed by a professional (like CW Suter’s HVAC Pros!) If you suspect that your uneven heating is because of leaky or blocked ducts, call us to have a trained technician perform an analysis.
Learn more about Professional Duct Cleaning >>
2. Thermostat Problems
If your thermostat’s furnace setting is on Auto, try switching it to the On setting. If you have a smart-thermostat, you may need to find a similar setting. On the Lennox iComfort® S30 Smart Thermostat, the “Feels Like” setting may need to be adjusted. Refer to your thermostat’s manual for troubleshooting steps, or view the iComfort® S30 manual.
It’s also possible that faulty wiring or heat-sensor issues are causing the thermostat to reflect the wrong temperature, or set the temperature incorrectly. This is something that should only be diagnosed by a professional. Please call us if you suspect this to be the issue.
3. Improperly Sized Furnace
An incorrectly sized furnace will create an inefficient heating scenario. Therefore, choosing a furnace in the correct size class for your Sioux City home is very important. Undersized units don’t have the capacity to heat your entire living area; oversized units may “short-cycle” which will leave you with inadequate ventilation. Our HVAC experts can perform heat-load calculations to ensure proper sizing.
> (opens in a new tab)”>Learn more about HVAC Sizing >>
4. Improper Maintenance
When you don’t schedule regular HVAC maintenance, your system can become less efficient andd slower. As a result, your furnace will age faster. Dirty coils, worn or loose belts, and clogged filters are common problems when HVAC maintenance has been neglected. These issues will leave you with a weaker heating system.
Luckily, these problems are easily preventable – with proper maintenance. In fact, the Indoor Air Quality Association (IAQA) found that regular HVAC maintenance reduces costly breakdowns and inefficiencies by as much as 95 percent!
Learn about our Comfort & Convenience Maintenance Plan
5. Incorrectly Sized Filter
Good airflow is key to circulating hot air through your home. If your furnace filter is too thick for your heating system, it creates excessive resistance, which leads to poor ventilation. A trained HVAC technician can perform a static resistance test to make sure you’re using the right size air filter. Not only is it important to have the correct size filter, it’s also crucial to change your filter on a consistent basis. On average, you should be changing your filter every 3 months. This depends on certain variables such as if you have allergies, how many pets you have, and the size of filter you have. You can sign up for our filter subscription program here and get regular filter deliveries straight to your door!
6. Zone Control
Many homes have different heating needs in different rooms. A zone control system allows you to individually adjust the temperature settings for distinct areas in your home. If your house has multiple stories, big windows, or a finished basement, your best option may be an HVAC Zoning System.
Read: The Benefits of Zoning Your Home
7. Poor Insulation
In Iowa, insufficient or nonexistent insulation is a problem – your ducts, windows, attic, and walls are all potential trouble spots; without the right insulation, heat escapes through them, which can create inconsistent heating throughout your house. Luckily, this is a fairly simple fix.
Ask your heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) professional to recommend insulation contractors who can help you diagnose and correct insulation issues. A professional can install insulation within hours and when compared to other home improvements, it is relatively affordable. For handier homeowners, a DIY install insulation job may be even less expensive!
Sioux City’s Heating and cooling Company
Our HVAC Experts provide furnace installations, furnace repairs, and furnace maintenance to our neighbors in Sioux City, Iowa and the surrounding area. We’re happy to answer questions or give you more information about the furnace services we provide – Call us today at 712-252-3007 or make an appointment online right now!
We’re honored to be Siouxland’s Choice in Heating and Cooling once again this year!
We are deeply grateful for the opportunity to serve our community and extend a heartfelt THANK YOU to our customers and our community for another year as the Siouxland’s Choice Award Winning HVAC Company.
