Room Temperature Fluctuations

Room temperature fluctuations — are you familiar with them? Have you ever walked through a home — it may even be yours — and noticed a pronounced difference in temperature between rooms? For example, you notice the master bedroom feels comfortable, but the guest room at the end of the hallway feels much cooler. Temperature fluctuations between rooms range from the obvious, such as leaving a window open, to the more obscure. In today’s post we’ll discuss some hard to spot reasons for room temperature fluctuation and what you can do about them.

Window and door drafts: Even the smallest gap in a window or door’s sealing surfaces can allow a great deal of outside air to come into your home and have a pronounced effect on room temperature. While windows and doors are the most common culprits when it comes to draftiness, vents in the walls and ceilings can also cause these problems. Seal any draftiness with the proper insulation, calk, etc. to stop this problem.

Poor or damaged insulation: Insulation is critical to blocking heat transfer between the interior and exterior walls of your home, and poor or damaged insulation will certainly make a difference in your room’s temperature. All insulation deteriorates over a long period of time, but if you have a leak that finds its way to the insulation, it will deteriorate quickly. This is one of the hardest problems to detect, because the heat transfer happens almost invisibly. If you suspect an insulation problem, call an insulation expert to assess and remedy the problem.

Poorly balanced ductwork: An HVAC unit’s ductwork contains volume dampers that control the flow or air throughout the home. Stuck, or improperly adjusted dampers will result in unbalanced ductwork, which will blow too much cool or hot air into one room, and not enough in another. If you notice this problem, call your local HVAC professional to diagnose and fix the problem.

Open chimney flue: It’s amazing how many homeowners leave their chimney flue open long after they’ve had a fire in their fireplace. Leaving the flue open when there is no fire present allows cold air to rush down the chimney and into your home. After you have safely extinguished your fire and all embers, close the flue to prevent this problem.

Hopefully these handy tips will help you diagnose and correct any room temperature fluctuations you may be experiencing.