Small Issues That Can Cause Uneven Heating And Cooling In The House
Uneven heating and cooling is one of the common problems people have with central air conditioning. The causes can lead from simple mistakes on the part of homeowners to complicated malfunctions in the heating, ventilation, and air conditioning system. Therefore, if you are experiencing the problem of uneven heating and cooling, look at your system to see if the problem is a simple one that you can solve without a technician's input. If you are lucky, it might turn out to be any of these four small issues:
Blocked or Dirty Air Vents
The air vents need to be open at all times to allow efficient circulation of conditioned air; anything that interferes with this circulation can cause uneven heating and cooling. This may be the problem, for example, if you haven't cleaned the air vents for a long time and they are clogged with debris. It can also happen if house furniture or furnishings are blocking some of the vents. In either of those cases, the blocked vents will not be delivering heated air while the open vents will be working as usual, leaving some places to feel colder than others.
Therefore, the first thing on noticing uneven heating and cooling is to confirm that all the vents are clear. If you regularly clean the vents, see if that new furniture isn't blocking any of the vents or a recent rearrangement of the furniture has caused the blockage. Cleaning the vents (for example by vacuuming) or moving the furniture away, depending on the cause of the blockage, will result in uniform heating and cooling again.
Dirty Air Filters
Poor circulation of conditioned air may also be caused by a dirty air filter. The air filter does its job by trapping dirt so that you don't breathe in contaminated air, but this means it get dirty and has to be replaced regularly. The air filter is probably dirty if you haven't changed it within the last three months; your filter shouldn't be used for longer than without replacement. Filters get dirty faster in homes with pets, large family homes, homes with fireplaces, and homes with gardens; adopt short replacement periods if your home fits that bill.
Luckily, you don't need a technician's expertise for this service. Most systems' manuals contain simple directions for changing the filter; just remember to turn it off before starting.
A Fan Switch on the "Auto" Position
In some cases, a fan switch that is in the "auto" position may also lead to uneven heating and cooling. This is because if the fan switch is on the "auto" position, it will only circulate the air when the cooling cycle is on. However, if it is in the "on" position, it continues to circulate the air even after the cooling cycle stops, and this helps to keep all the rooms at the same temperature.
If these measures don't help, then the problem may be something more technical than you can handle. In that case, consult an HVAC technician for a professional diagnosis and repair.