Some Rooms Cold, Others Warm? Fix Uneven Heating in Your Dallas Home

When some rooms stay comfortable while others remain cold, the problem is usually airflow, ductwork, or system balance rather than your heating equipment. This guide from Dallas Heating and Air Conditioning helps you identify why heat isn't reaching certain areas. Many fixes are simple DIY tasks, but some require professional heating service.

Quick Checks You Can Do First

Closed or blocked supply vents are the number one cause. Walk through every room and check every vent. Vents closed to "save energy" in unused rooms actually backfire by increasing pressure, which can cause leaks and reduce efficiency. Don't close more than 20% of vents throughout your house.

What's Normal for Temperature Differences

Some variation is normal and expected. A 2-4 degree difference between rooms is normal. Upstairs being 2-3 degrees warmer than downstairs in a two-story home is common because heat rises. Rooms over garages being 3-4 degrees cooler is normal due to insulation differences. More than 5 degrees of difference is worth investigating.

Professional Repairs for Uneven Heating

Ductwork Problems

Ducts deliver heated air throughout your home. Disconnected sections mean heated air blows into the attic instead of the room. Leaky joints and connections can lose up to 30% of heated air, with rooms farthest from the system suffering most. Crushed or kinked flex duct severely restricts airflow and is common in attics where items have been placed on ducts.

DFW homes often have attic ductwork, which is prone to leaks and disconnections. Rapid construction in the 1980s-2000s often resulted in undersized ducts to certain rooms. Duct inspection and sealing costs $300-$700.

System Not Properly Balanced

Airflow to different rooms needs to be balanced so each room gets the right amount of air for its size. Signs of poor balance include some rooms always too warm while others always too cold, the problem existed since system installation, and there are no obvious vent or duct issues.

Professional balancing requires airflow measurements at each vent and damper adjustments throughout the system. Balancing service costs $150-$500.

Undersized or Oversized Equipment

A system that's too small can't heat the entire house adequately, leaving rooms farthest from the unit or hardest to heat cold. A system that's too big short-cycles before heat distributes evenly. If the problem existed since equipment installation or a house addition was made without an HVAC upgrade, sizing may be the issue.

This requires a load calculation to determine proper sizing. Equipment replacement may be needed, or ductwork modifications might help. Assessment costs $100-$200.

Insufficient Insulation

Some rooms lose heat faster than others. Rooms over garages, with more exterior walls, or under poorly insulated attics can't retain heat. Bonus rooms over garages, rooms with cathedral ceilings, corner rooms with two exterior walls, and rooms below poorly insulated attics are commonly affected.

This requires an insulation assessment and may involve adding insulation to specific areas and air sealing. Costs vary widely by scope.

Two-Story Homes and Physics

Heat rises naturally, so upper floors tend to be warmer and lower floors cooler. Single-zone systems struggle to satisfy both floors. You can minimize this by partially closing upper floor vents 25-50% in winter, opening lower floor vents fully, and using ceiling fans on low in reverse direction to push warm air down.

Long-term solutions include zoning systems with separate thermostats for each floor, mini-split units for problem areas, or professional duct balancing.

When to Call for Service

If you've checked vents, filter, and doors with no improvement, or temperature differences between rooms exceed 5 degrees, call Dallas Heating and Air Conditioning at (214) 710-2515. We serve Dallas, Plano, Frisco, McKinney, Allen, Richardson, Carrollton, The Colony, and Lewisville.

With over 20 years serving North Texas and an A+ BBB rating, our technicians understand the ductwork challenges common in DFW homes. We'll diagnose your uneven heating issue and provide solutions that work for your specific situation.