Why One Room May Not Stay the Same Temperature as the Rest of Your House
Below are a few reasons why you might notice differences in temperature amongst your different rooms.
09/09/2022
Most homes have one or two rooms that are more difficult to maintain at a regular temperature. During winter, these rooms tend to stay chillier, requiring occupants to throw on an extra blanket to stay cozy, and during the summer, these rooms are the first to heat up in between blasts from the A/C. Why does this happen, and is there any way to fix it for good?
Reasons Some Rooms Are Harder to Keep Warm or Cool
No two rooms are created equal — especially when they are attached to the same house. Here are a few reasons why you might notice differences in temperature amongst your different rooms.
Distance From A/C or Furnace
If you have central heating and cooling, the distance between a room and the unit used for heating and/or cooling matters. As air travels, it changes temperature; the farther it travels, the more it will change from its original temperature. Thus, if your room is on the edge of your home, farthest from the A/C or furnace, it isn’t receiving the full power of your central temperature control, and it is likely to suffer from greater temperature fluctuations.
HVAC Damage
Your home should have an HVAC that is powerful enough to maintain a reasonable temperature range across your home, or else it should have multiple HVAC units to reach every room in your home. However, if your HVAC is old or damaged, it might not have the strength required to reach the edges of your interior property.
Sunlight Exposure
The sun heats the Earth — and it can heat the rooms in your home, too. Sunlight streaming through large windows will cause interior temperatures to rise, which can be good or bad depending on the season. East- and west-facing windows are most likely to cause excessive heat as they experience more direct sunlight for more of the day. Some home designers account for the sunlight exposure of a home to make a property more energy-efficient, but many think little about the direction of doors and windows, resulting in uncomfortably warm rooms.
Elevation
Hot air rises. Hot air is less dense than cool air, so like oil on water, hot air tends to float on top of cool air. If your home has multiple levels, the upper stories are likely to be warmer than the lower stories because of this phenomenon.
Old Insulation
Insulation is material placed between exterior and interior walls — and in attics — to reduce airflow and temperature exchange from the outside in. While most insulation is incredibly long-lasting, enduring for 80 to 100 years, insulation can break down and require replacing. If you live in an older home and you notice greater temperature swings in many different rooms, you might have an insulation issue that needs to be addressed.
Ways to Improve Temperature Control in Every Room
Most homes experience some degree of temperature change from room to room, but there are ways to reduce the swings in temperature and improve comfort across your home. Here are the best tips and tricks for maintaining an even temperature in every room.
Relocate the Thermostat
Often, homebuilders place thermostats in out-of-the-way spaces, like laundry rooms or hallways — but these rooms might not accurately reflect the temperature of your main living areas. You might consider moving your thermostat to a more central location, where it can measure your home’s temperature with greater accuracy.
Install Ceiling Fans
Ceiling fans are excellent tools for maintaining comfortable temperatures in all seasons. In the summer, ceiling fans help your body’s natural cooling system function better indoors, and in the winter, ceiling fans circulate warm air to heat up the corners of your interior spaces. You can easily install modern ceiling fans that will continue to look chic for decades to come.
Replace Air Filters
The harder an HVAC needs to work, the less effective it will be at maintaining a comfortable temperature across your home. Clogged air filters require the HVAC unit to work harder to intake air, which will decrease its current performance while increasing wear-and-tear. You should set a schedule for replacing your air filters: every 90 days if you keep a clean home and don’t have pets, or every 30 days if you have especially dander-y furry friends.
Service the A/C and Furnace
Regular service for your A/C and furnace can be expensive — but it is even more expensive to replace your heating and cooling units prematurely and suffer a poorly heated or cooled home in the meantime. At least once per year, you should have a qualified service professional check over your A/C and furnace, or else you should learn how to service your heating and cooling units yourself.
Even with all this knowledge and some critical changes in how you manage your home, a few rooms in your house might still feel slightly warm or cool. As long as you remain comfortable and safe, these minor changes in temperature are no reason to fret.