Prevent Temperature Imbalance Across Your Home

You’re watching TV on your couch, bundled up and cozy in the warmth of your living, and now you want a snack. So you get up and walk into the kitchen, but it feels more like the Arctic and not your home. The HVAC system is on, but it isn’t hitting every spot in your house. Temperature imbalances can mean more than just a cold room in a house. It might indicate something is wrong with your heating and cooling.

One reason it feels cooler in one room than another might be because of leaky ductwork. Even small leaks can affect airflow throughout your house, and ducts can lose up to 30 percent of airflow from leaks. Larger leaks, like the ones found in loose joints, can stop airflow to some rooms completely.

However, even if your ducts are intact, proximity can play a factor in shifts of temperature. Rooms that are closer to your furnace will get a majority of the warm airflow, while those rooms that are on the opposite end of your house will receive less airflow.

We can say the same about the different levels of your home. Heat will naturally move from lower to higher levels, and that can cause a difference of roughly 10 degrees between your upper and lower levels.

Let’s say that all airflow is balances between every room on every floor of your home. Each location should be the same temperature, right? Well, what if one is still different? Perhaps that area of your home has poorer insulation than the rest. Those spots will not retain heat like you want them to, and other factors, such as windows and doors, can let air escape if they are not properly sealed.

Identifying which rooms of your house aren’t hitting that comfortable temperature is easy, but finding the issue can be tricky. If you suspect that leaky ductwork is the cause, then you need to locate the source of the leak and seal them with duct tape. That is not saying that duct tape is the end-all solution, as some parts of your ducts, like the joints, may need further work from a professional.

Even if the temperature differences are not drastic, we recommend that you add better insulation to your home. While you’re at it, inspect your doors and windows to see if there is a draft, and then fix those spots with better seals.

You and your family deserve to be comfortable in your own home, regardless of the room or floor you are on. For identifying and fixing the problem of temperature imbalances in your house, call Sunrise Heating and Plumbing today at (616) 293-9326. We pride ourselves in providing nothing but exceptional customer service.