If you live in a two-story home, you might find that the second floor is hotter than the first. You may not notice this problem until the weather gets hot and the hot summer months are upon us. You may have tried a few things to rectify the problems to no avail. You can get answers from a professional, but some of the common reasons could be the following.
Temperature Difference Between First & Second Floor
1. Hot air. We all know that heat rises and if your air conditioning unit is on the first floor, it will need to push hot air out as the cooler air comes into the room. The whole system works harder to circulate the cool air up to the second floor. Factors that determine how hard the AC unit has to work to get the cool air to the second floor are the number of rooms in the house, the age of the unit and how well the system is equipped to cool the house.
2. Hot roof. The roof of your home might be causing the second floor to be hotter than is comfortable. If your roof isn’t protected from the sun in any way, it will absorb the sun’s heat and the heat will travel into the second floor and make it harder for the system to cool the second floor off.
3. Ductwork, seals & insulation. The ducts in the system are responsible for taking cool air from your system throughout the whole house. If there are areas with faulty ductwork that is improperly routed, leaking or older, it makes it harder for the AC unit to cool the house. There also might not be enough ductwork getting to the second floor.
How to Increase Airflow & Cool Second Story of House
If you figure out what the problem is, the next step is to fix it. Airflow will need to be redirected to the second floor. You can locate the dampers of the HVAC system and close the ducts halfway or more for the ones that lead to the first floor. This will force more of the air up to the second floor. Change the filters because if the sir filters are dirty, it will restrict airflow throughout the house so it’s important to clean them regularly or replace them when needed. Ventilate and insulate the attic. Having the right insulation in the attic decreases the amount of air that gets to the second floor while making sure it’s ventilated allows heat and moisture to escape. Make sure the windows are insulated. Seal any cracks, gaps and holes around the windows to prevent air loss. The fan setting should be set to “on” instead of “auto”. If you run the system’s blower all the time, it will help mix the air more evenly throughout the house. It won’t use a lot of energy and can even lower the energy use because the system isn’t having to cycle as much.
Air Conditioning Services in Springfield, Granby, Holyoke, South Hadley, Monson, Chicopee & Agawam Massachusetts
It’s important to be aware of the issues that might be going on when cooling the second floor of your house. Some fixes can be done on your own, but call the professionals are Ambient Heating & Air Conditioning if you need help. They can get your whole house cooled properly, so everyone can be comfortable. Contact us today!
