Coming home to a cold space is not fun at all, especially when the weather is freezing outside. It is even worse when you’ve even turned the heater on, but nothing seems to change. What might be the problem?
Generally, your situation might result from several reasons. These could include poor insulation, nonfunctional furnace, rooms with high ceilings, or general problems with your system. All of these can prevent your house from heating properly.
So, have you been wondering, “why is my house so cold? If you’ve found yourself struggling with this question, this piece explores the main reasons why.
It highlights reasons why your house is cold even with a heater on and the best solutions to these issues.
Why Is My House So Cold Even With The Heating On?
- The Vents Could Be Hindered
Are you tired of asking yourself, “why is my house so cold?”.
It is crucial to examine your vents first to determine whether they are the cause of your cold indoors. For starters, the vents in your room should always be open at all times. This allows proper air circulation in the house.
Additionally, ensure that the vents are not blocked by anything. Furniture and curtains can block airflow as the fabrics absorb heat from the warm air coming from the vents. Once you have sorted these issues, the cold in your house will be a thing of the past.
- Clogged Air Filters
Are you constantly asking yourself, “why is it so cold in my house?” — clogged filters could be another contributor to the cold in your house when the heating is on. When your filter is clogged, it doesn’t allow enough warm air to circulate through your vents. This can cause your heater to run less efficiently, making your home feel colder. The solution is simple – just replace your air filter!
Clogged air filters also cause poor air quality in your house as they are unable to clean air sufficiently. Moreover, they can cause serious problems to your entire HVAC unit; increasing your energy bills and decreasing its output.
- High Ceilings and Chilly Walls
A freezing house is not a comfortable place to go to after a long day at work. And high ceilings and chilly walls could be major contributors to the cold. But, this shouldn’t worry you too much – there are several ways to solve the issue.
One way to combat high ceilings and chilly walls is by using a space heater. Space heaters are great for providing extra warmth in a specific area. They help to augment your main heat source.
The second option is to use wall insulation. This will help to keep the heat from escaping through your chilly walls.
As for the high ceilings, you can use a ceiling fan to help circulate the warm air throughout the room. You can also rectify this by doing some work in the attic. For instance, use a fitting board to make sure there are no gaps around your attic access door.
- The Heating System Doesn’t Cover the Entire Home
Sometimes, your heating system could be the issue. If the heating system isn’t large enough, it could be the reason why some areas of your house feel colder than others, because it can’t heat the entire space.
Usually, this is a common scenario in two-story homes that lack zoned heating. Zoned heating means that your home is split into at least two zones, i.e., upstairs and downstairs zone of a home. And you have the ability to control individual temperatures for each zone in your home.
There are numerous factors to consider in determining whether your heating system is the right size for your home. Your home’s square footage and the climate of your current location are some of these factors. They help you calculate a British Thermal Unit, which is necessary to heat your home.
Other things to look out for are the number of stories in your home, your home’s insulation, how energy efficient your windows are, and high ceilings. With that information at hand, you can get a system that meets your home’s heating needs.
- Poorly Insulated Windows
There are several ways for heat to exit your house hence preventing it from warming up. And warmth-sucking windows are a major problem.
A lot of heat is lost through windows hence preventing your house from warming up even with the heating on. And most homeowners go with triple pane windows in their houses to solve the heat loss problems. Others prefer super-insulated ones as an upgrade.
But, before taking this direction, try the following pocket-friendly tips that will help minimize heat loss from your windows;
- Look out for leaks or gaps along the edges of your windows and seal them off with caulk.
- Upgrade your drapes to heavier stuff. Thicker materials trap colder air between the window and the fabric.
- Install a cling window film in your ‘stubborn’ window.
6. Your Heater is not Effective
If you’ve been asking yourself “why is my house so cold?”, then there might an issue with the heat delivery. The following are some of the things that could cause this problem;
First, the thermostat might be set too low. Second, the pilot light could be out.
Lastly, there might be an issue with your furnace – if this is the case, then you should call a professional to take a look at it.
A final reason why your heater might not be effective is that you have a drafty home. This can let in cold air and make it difficult for your heater to do its job. There are several ways to fix this problem, such as;
- Weather-stripping and caulking.
- Sealing up your leaky ductwork; leaky ductwork is mostly found in your home’s garage, attic, or basement. Use foil-faced duct tape to seal up the leaks. It prevents heat from traveling through a cold house.
- Rearrange your furniture and open the vents; ensure that you regularly examine the vents in your house. Remember to open them fully in the rooms that you want to be heated. Vents should not be covered in order to heat your home properly.
- Open door policy; closing your home’s doors is a way of maintaining privacy. However, it is not good for airflow. Leave your doors open to enable cool air to flow back into your house. It is important to open the door since most of the homes are not zoned.