Updated January 29, 2024

Late January is the middle of the winter, and it’s often the coldest time of the season. This is when a home heating system faces its most consistent challenge, working during much of the day and sometimes through the night to keep a household warm against freezing outdoor temperatures.

This is when you’re most likely to run into heating issues. Here are a few—and what you can do about them.

The Short‑Cycling Heating System

Short cycling refers to when a heating system won’t complete its heating cycle and instead shuts off early, only to start back up again. You can run into this trouble with furnaces and heat pumps. This is 1) bad for the heater; 2) hikes up bills, and 3) doesn’t allow warmth to spread through the rooms. There are many possible causes for this but always check on the heater’s air filter first. If it’s clogged, change it. The problem may also be with a thermostat miscalibration. Call for heating repairs if the problem continues.

Cold spots in rooms

You might notice that certain rooms in the house feel colder than they once did. The heater might be losing its heating capacity, there could be problems in the ductwork, or the room may be losing heat through poor insulation or gaps around doors and windows.

The heater is noisier than normal

You may just try to ignore a furnace, heat pump, or boiler that’s become louder than usual. This isn’t a good idea: noisy operation often points toward a repair need or a heater that’s too old to do its job and needs to be replaced. Heating professionals can find out what’s wrong and repair the system.

Bills are too high

If you’re surprised at the size of your utility bills for the first serious month of winter, that’s a major warning that the heater is struggling to do its job. HVAC technicians can track down where the trouble is happening and recommend the best way to fix it.

Golden Rule Plumbing, Heating, Cooling & Electrical serves Des Moines, IA. If you want a Service Provider who will treat you and your home like their own, then call us today.

Contact Us Today for HVAC Service!

If you found this post helpful, check out some other budget-saving tips: