While the right amount of warmth inside your home is critical to your comfort in the winter, too much heat can become an issue. For most people, indoor temperatures in winter should range from 68 degrees up to 72 degrees for optimal comfort and efficient furnace operation. This range should be consistent throughout all living spaces in the home.
In some circumstances, however, the entire house — or just certain rooms — may be chronically too warm. In addition to diminishing indoor comfort, too much heat usually means higher monthly heating costs, as well as more wear and tear on furnace components.
Feeling too much heat in your house? Here are some possible suspects:
Incorrect thermostat setting.
It’s a no-brainer, but it does happen: Someone pushes the thermostat setting way up for a temporary heating boost and forgets to reset it to the normal setting. Check all of the programmed temperatures for day and night to make sure they are in the proper range for comfort.
Defective thermostat.
If your furnace runs nonstop, a malfunctioning thermostat may not be sending the proper signal to turn the furnace off when it reaches the programmed temperature. Usually, turning the unit off at the main thermostat’s on/off switch will shut down the furnace. Then, call a professional heating service to diagnose and repair the issue.
Obstructed returns.
The return vent in a specific room may be obstructed by objects like furniture or curtains. As the blocked return cannot remove heated air, the lack of proper circulation may cause too much heat to accumulate in the affected room.
Unbalanced airflow.
The balance of airflow into and out of each room is carefully calculated to maintain proper comfort. Excess airflow in winter, however, provides too much heat, and a room may be chronically uncomfortable. Airflow issues may be caused by internal duct dampers that are not adjusted properly, too many closed or obstructed supply vents in the house, or a furnace blower that is oversized for the system.
If you’re feeling too much heat while trying to stay comfortable this winter, contact the HVAC professionals at Jackson & Sons to diagnose and resolve the problem.
