The one thing everyone needs during winter is a well-heated home. With some areas experiencing subzero temperatures, a reliable heating system can improve indoor comfort and make for a bearable season. But what if you turn on the heat, but your upstairs rooms are still cold? What if your bedrooms are too cold to be habitable? Here are four potential reasons there's no heat in your upstairs rooms, and what you can do to address the problem.

Thermostat Woes

Thermostats have a primary role in residential heating. They detect the temperatures in a room and turn on the heat to a desired preset temperature. Now, if the upstairs thermostat is faulty, it won't be able to adjust the temperatures. Thus, your downstairs rooms will be warm while the upstairs ones remain cold. Luckily, you can fix this problem by repairing your upstairs thermostat.

Similarly, you may find some rooms upstairs are warm while others are cold. This usually happens due to the location of the thermostat. This appliance turns the heat on and off based on the temperatures of the room it is in. Once the thermostat records the particular room's preset temperatures, it turns off the heat, even if the other rooms are not warm. This problem requires you to install additional thermostats or rethink the location of the existing one.

Leaky Ductwork

Do you have a ducted central heating system? The lack of heat in your upstairs room could signal leaks in the ducts leading to these rooms. Ductwork installation in a multi-story house is quite complicated. If the ducts have sharp bends, they can develop micro-tears, which leak warm air to the surroundings. As a result, the rooms that require the heat get little or none of it. Air leaks are not only bad for your home, but they can also overwork the heating system. If you have old ductwork, get it checked for leaks.

Inadequate Duct Insulation

Heating ducts require insulation to maintain the temperature of the heated air. If you have no insulation, your upstairs rooms may get little or no heat. Since most upstairs ducts are installed near the roof, they can lose heat to the roof and attic, especially if there is no roofing insulation. By the time the air reaches the intended rooms, it is almost cold. Insulate your ductwork before the onset of winter. Doing so will not only improve indoor comfort but also reduce energy loss from your home.

Lack of heat during the cold season can cause panic in your household. If you can't detect or fix the problem, contact an emergency heating repair contractor for help.