What To Do If Your House Is Hot Upstairs And Cold Downstairs
- 1. Change your air filter. In some cases, the simplest solutions are the most effective ones. ...
- 2. Repair and/or insulate your ductwork. If you can gain access to your ducts, some pointed maintenance may help reduce the problem of uneven heating without having to do any major new installations. ...
- 3. Replace your air conditioner or furnace. ...
- 4. Reduce upstairs heat sources. ...
- 5. Check attic insulation. ...
Why is it so cold upstairs in the winter?
Homes that are colder and uncomfortable upstairs in winter lose heat faster on the second floor than the heating system can replace it. As a result, these homes have too much heat loss on the second floor.
How do I Keep my upstairs cool in the summer?
Another step you can take to keep your upstairs cooler is to make sure your ventilation systems work as they should. If there isn’t the right kind of ventilation, there won’t be enough airflow. This makes keeping the area cool more difficult.
Why is it hotter upstairs than downstairs?
Why is it hotter upstairs? Hot air rises and cold air sinks. As air gets hotter, it becomes less dense and rises. As it cools, it becomes more dense and sinks. Warm air rises—at least until it hits a barrier, such as attic insulation. temperatures in the home stratify as heat heads upward.
How do I Stop my air conditioner from blowing cold air?
Then, there are dampers in the ductwork that open and close based on which thermostat is calling for air or heat. So, here are 3 possible solutions. This first solution is to add an additional air conditioner / heater, thermostat and modify the duct work system. This is probably the best solution, however it is not the least expensive.
How to keep your upstairs cool in summer?
Why is my upstairs room hot and cold?
Why is the Upstairs of My House Hot?
How Do I Keep My Whole House Cool?
Why is my house cold in summer?
How to make sure your house is properly cooled?
What is zoned cooling?
See 2 more
How do you balance the heat in a two story house in the winter?
Start by setting your thermostat downstairs to your desired temperature. Then set the upstairs thermostat to a two-degree cooler setting. The extra heat downstairs will combat the cold that settles on the lower levels.
Why is my house so hot upstairs and cold downstairs?
Heat rises – Blame physics: hot air rises while cold air sinks. That means your upstairs typically gets hotter than your lower levels, even if your air conditioner's working in overdrive. Your roof's hot, too – Unless you have shady tree cover, your roof absorbs a ton of heat from the sun.
How do you fix a cold downstairs hot upstairs?
Help! My House is Hot Upstairs and Cold DownstairsChange Your Air Filter. ... Repair and Insulate Your Ductwork. ... Shell Out for a New Air Conditioner or Furnace. ... Look Into Zone Control HVAC. ... Investigate Your Attic's Thermal Integrity. ... Reduce Sources of Heat Upstairs. ... Use Fans.
How do you even out the temperature upstairs and downstairs?
Keep the air moving by turning on the fan setting of your home's thermostat. Turn the fan from “auto” to “on”. The fan will circulate the air continually throughout the home and can help even out temperatures between floors.
How do you make downstairs warmer?
Adjust the dampers. If the first floor of your home is colder in the winter months, keep the dampers on the first-floor vents fully open and only partially open the vents on the second floor to force more of the warm air to enter the first-floor areas.
How do I even out the temperature in my house?
How to Maintain an Even Temperature Throughout Your HomeClean the Air Ducts. If you have leaks in your air ducts, cool air won't make it to every air vent, resulting in uneven cooling. ... Turn On the AC Fan. ... Adjust the Air Vents. ... Check the Insulation. ... Install a Zoned System.
Will closing vents upstairs help warm downstairs?
Because heat rises, homeowners can consider partially closing upstairs vents and fully opening those downstairs. The top floor often steals most of the heat, but partially closing vents can help to keep other areas of your house warmer without damaging or stressing your house's HVAC system.
How do you circulate air between floors?
How to Increase Airflow to Second Floor?Keep Air Conditioner Running in Fan Mode. ... Install a Ceiling Fan. ... Increase the Size of Return Vents. ... Increase Number of Vents. ... Clear the Vents. ... Close Vents on Lower Floors. ... Go for Ductless Air Conditioning. ... Get a Zoned HVAC System.
How do I balance the airflow in my home?
5 Ways to Balance Airflow in Your Home5 Ways to Balance Airflow in Your Home. ... Check the Location of Your Thermostat. ... Keep Rooms and Vents Open. ... Adjust Ductwork (fix, seal, add new return ducts) ... Increase Insulation (windows, walls) ... Install an Air Handler or Zoning System.
Should thermostat be on first or second floor?
The optimal location for a thermostat is on the first floor of a home, on an interior wall, in the middle of the house. It will give you the most accurate reading of your home temperature, and let you easily change furnace and air conditioner settings.
How do I keep my upstairs warm in the winter?
How to Keep a Second Floor WarmerReplace any cracked or missing window caulking and door trim; kits are available in hardware stores.Use door snakes on outside wall doors. ... Open stairwell doors if the main floor is warm. ... Ensure that any ceiling fan turns in a clockwise rotation. ... Install insulated window treatments.More items...
Which vents should be open in winter?
In the winter you want the cold air to be drawn through the return registers leaving the hot air behind. By opening the lower registers and closing the top ones you keep hot air in and draw the cold air out. Since cold air is heavy it will automatically flow down to the lower register.
Why is my downstairs heating not working?
Cold radiators downstairs If your downstairs radiators are failing to heat up, there could be a problem with your pump. If this is the case, it won't be producing enough power to push the water around the heating system.
How do you deal with hot upstairs?
Simple Fixes to Help Cool Your UpstairsProperly open vents, don't block return air supply. Let the air flow! ... Install lightly colored curtains or drapes. ... Keep heat-generating appliances off. ... Run a fan (when you're in the room) ... Keep your HVAC fan set to 'on' ... Inspect your ductwork. ... Check your insulation.
Why is my heating working upstairs and not downstairs?
Radiators Are Hot Upstairs, but Cold Downstairs This is most likely caused by a problem with your central heating pump and can often happen when your heating has been switched off for a few months (e.g. over summer).
How can I cool my upstairs of a 2 story house?
Here is to keep upstairs cool:Increase Airflow to the Second Floor. ... Open Top Return Vents. ... Clean or Replace Your Air Filters. ... Keep Your HVAC Fan Setting on “On” Instead of “Auto” ... Create Climate Zones. ... Upgrade Your HVAC Unit. ... Invest in a Ductless Air Conditioner.
Upstairs too Hot in the Winter and too Cold in the Summer
I have a two story 1,800 sqft house with a crawlspace that was built in 2005. It's basically a 30'x30' box. The house has a 3 ton heat pump with the air handler located in the attic. There seems to be a trunk line with flex ducts running to the supplies. In the winter when we have the heat on, the upstairs gets much warmer than downstairs.
Why do basement rooms stay cooler?
Typically, rooms upstairs are warmer than rooms downstairs, and, oppositely, basement rooms tend to stay much cooler due to the fact they are underground; also, rooms that are on the side of your home that receives more sunlight than others will tend to be warmer and need more energy to keep cool.
How much heat loss can you reduce by adding insulation?
You may be able to reduce heat or cool air loss by up to 30% just by adding proper insulation.
What happens if your HVAC system isn't properly sized?
If your existing HVAC system wasn’t properly sized, it may just be too small to adequately heat or cool all of the space in your home. You may need a more powerful system, or possibly two separate systems.
Is upgrading a heating system a good idea?
While it’s not an inexpensive option, sometimes upgrading your system to a more efficient model may be the best long-term solution. The savings on your energy bills and the added comfort may very well make it worth the investment.
Can you cool your house if you have multiple floors?
With all the technology advances of this century, homeowners can finally rest assured that their homes can cool or heat evenly and efficiently even if there are multiple floors. Although issues with insulation or improper window installation can affect your home’s ability to get and stay warm or cool throughout the space, ...
Do you need additional ductwork for older homes?
If you have an older home, it’s very likely that the ductwork was not configured as it would be to meet today’s standards. You may need additional ducts or vents to properly heat and cool the entire house.
How do you fix the problem of freezing downstairs and cooking upstairs?
The problem may be that you simply have an aging cooling system that cannot work as efficiently as it once did. If your cooling system isn’t powerful enough to cool your whole home, an HVAC professional will perform a load calculation and determine what size air conditioner is necessary to effectively heat and cool your entire living space. Professional installation is important to ensure your new system isn’t too small or too large, as both situations can cause problems.
How to direct air to the upstairs?
It’s best to hire a professional to set up your heating and cooling zones, but you can try to duplicate the effect of this yourself by close a few (not all) of the vents on the first floor in the summertime. This forces your A/C system to direct more air upstairs. In winter, try the oposite. Close more vents upstairs so that more of the heated air is pushed through the downstairs vents.
How effective is climate zone HVAC?
This kind of system uses motorized modulating dampers inside your ductwork to direct more heated or cooled air where it is needed by opening and closing incrementally. You will enjoy steady precise comfort on demand in these fine-tune zoned areas in every room in the house.
How do ducts work on a second floor?
Ducts take the cool air from your HVAC system and distribute it throughout your home. If the ducts are old, leaky or were installed poorly, then an air conditioner will struggle to push the cool air to all the areas of your home. There may not even be the right amount of ductwork to properly cool your second floor.
How to balance the temperature of a home?
The temperature can be balanced between the stories of your home by upgrading your furnace, installing a zoned system and keeping the air circulating throughout the house. Address existing problems first by checking your attic insulation and how well your ducts are sealed.
Why is upstairs not the same temperature as downstairs?
There may be existing problems that are causing the imbalance that should be addressed before installing a zoned system. This may have originally lead to the reason your upstairs isn’t the same temperature as downstairs.
Why does the thermostat snap back on in winter?
Forced air often fails to create uniform conditions. As the lower level cools, the thermostat senses a lower temperature downstairs, which trigger s the forced-air system to snap back on. The cycle repeats over and over and is the fundamental problem of uneven heating.
Why is my house so hot upstairs?
Unfortunately, one reason that your house might be too hot upstairs and too cold downstairs is that your current HVAC equipment just isn't up to the job of providing a consistent air temperature throughout the building.
Why is my attic hot?
More potential culprits for uneven temperatures lurk in the attic, particularly when you're running your air conditioner in the summer. If the attic is not properly insulated, you could be leaking treated air upward, leaving your second floor hotter than you want it to be. Blocked soffit vents in the attic could be infringing on the ventilation and causing the space to heat up and lure away your treated air as well. If you shore up your insulation and clear any blockages in the vents, you'll improve the ability of your upper floors to retain cool air. You may also consider installing attic fans to further cool your attic.
Why is there uneven heating between floors?
Other factors that can contribute to uneven heating between floors include homes that weren't designed with efficient air circulation in mind, leaky ductwork or an outdated HVAC system . Fortunately, you do have options to combat large discrepancies in temperature. Read on for tips on how to diagnose and address the issues ...
What happens if your HVAC system gets clogged?
If the air filter in your HVAC system gets clogged, your equipment will have to work harder to push air through the house, and will not only be less efficient but likely less effective as well. Swapping out the old filter for a new one could be all you need to bring the temperature on the second floor in line with the first.
How to keep the temperature constant in a room?
First, try turning the fan setting on your thermostat to "On" to create a perpetual flow of air through the house, helping to distribute the treated air all over the building. Secondly, when occupying a room, use ceiling fans to keep the air circulating so you can be more comfortable no matter where you are in your home.
Is the second floor of a house warmer than the first?
Your second floor will naturally be warmer than the first, so there's no need to exacerbate the issue by creating more heat upstairs. Try not to leave any lights illuminated on the second floor when you aren't using the space, and limit the use of heat-generating appliances like hair dryers.
Can you change the color of a thermostat?
In addition, this thermostat can control dehumidifiers, humidifiers, air quality products and uv lights. You can even change the color scheme to match the room that you put it in. If you are too hot or too cold, give us a call at 843-821-0937 to discuss the options that will best suit you, your family and your budget!
Can you have a single air conditioner?
If you have a single air conditioning/heating unit, you can have the ductwork converted and an additional thermostat installed. Now, this sounds simple, and it is, however, it is labor intensive. Basically, most of the work is done on the duct system that you currently have in place.
Can I control my thermostat from my phone?
This add-on has the ability to go wifi. Yes, you can control your thermostat from a computer, your smartphone or your ipad! Awesome!! If you forget to set your air conditioner or heater, no problem. Just connect through the Honeywell app and your are in business!
Can you add an additional air conditioner to your home?
This is probably the best solution, however it is not the least expensive. When you add the additional air conditioning / heating unit to your home, you can now cool or heat each area independently.
Does a thermostat measure humidity?
As you know, humidity is a huge factor in our personal comfort. This thermostat measures humidity through its internal sensors. The nice part is that there is a setting to help control the humidity by using your existing air conditioning and heating unit. (Note: For major humidity issues, a dehumidifier may be necessary.)
Why is it colder upstairs than downstairs?
In thinking about this, homes that are colder upstairs are just the opposite of what you would expect. Since warm air rises, you'd expect warmer air on the second floor because warm air rises. Homes that have lower temperatures on the 2nd floor, must have other factors. These factors cause the uncomfortable conditions on the upper floor of the home.
Does adding heat to the second floor increase heating costs?
Additionally, increasing the heat supply to the second floor raises heating costs. Therefore, it is always wise to try to reduce heat losses first. Only when reducing as much heat loss as possible will not fully eliminate the problem should options for adding additional heat to the second floor should be considered.
How to balance out hot spots in a heater?
Another way to balance out the cold and hot spots is to block or partially block airflow into the rooms that are hot when the heater is running. This can be done with manual dampers at the air vents.
Can HVAC filters be used to reduce airflow?
Some filters are great at purifying the air, but they aren’t so beneficial in terms of airflow. HVAC air filters and register air filters can dramatically reduce airflow to the point that it creates temperature regulation issues. If you don’t swap the filters out for an option with a lower MERV rating eventually the restricted airflow will damage your HVAC equipment.
Hot Air Rises
We all know hot air rises. So, shouldn’t that make your top floor the warmest? It would — if it didn’t keep on rising after that.
Static Pressure
The next problem is a limitation of conventional ductwork. We’re talking about static pressure, which essentially is when the system loses pressure over distance.
Only One Thermostat
With everything stacked against heating your upstairs correctly, having only one thermostat makes it even worse. As we’ve seen, part of the problem is that your first floor is always warmer. But that’s where you find the thermostat.
Supplemental Heat
One solution is to add zoned or supplemental heating. This is anything from a space heater (which isn’t a great idea) to baseboard heaters or mini splits (which we’ll get into later).
Dual Furnaces
A more robust solution is a dual furnace setup. You see these much more often in homes that are more than 3,000 square feet. In this case, there’s a second furnace upstairs that treats the second floor and third if you have one.
Mini Split
A ductless mini split is an excellent way to combine the customization of zoned heating with the power of a second furnace. These are easy to install: You run lines from a heat pump outside to wall-mounted air handlers in every room you want to treat.
How to keep your upstairs cool in summer?
How to Keep Upstairs Cool in the Summer. One step you can take to help keep your upstairs cool is to put in better insulation and sealing. If there are any gaps in the structure of your home, your air conditioning isn’t able to work as it should. Remember to ensure that your attic is insulated, too.
Why is my upstairs room hot and cold?
There are several reasons why it might be hot upstairs and cold downstairs. For one thing, warm air rises. Also, you might have a hot roof caused by the sun. Faulty ductwork is another possibility. Cold air is denser and stays low , which is why your downstairs is more likely to be cool.
Why is the Upstairs of My House Hot?
There are a few reasons why the upstairs of your house can get hot. One is the fact that hot air rises. When it rises, it goes upstairs and stays there. If you have a multi-story home, it was probably designed with this understanding.
How Do I Keep My Whole House Cool?
To make sure your whole house is properly cooled, check the HVAC system’s blower fan. You should make sure that the blower fan is running on a constant basis. Don’t worry about energy use. Keeping the blower fan of your air conditioning system running constantly won’t use too much energy.
Why is my house cold in summer?
If the downstairs of your house is too cold in the summer, it is probably for a specific reason. If you have turned up the air conditioning higher to try to cool a hot upstairs, it’s then too cool downstairs. This is why a hot upstairs and cold downstairs can often happen together. If you have this problem, you should consult with an HVAC ...
How to make sure your house is properly cooled?
To make sure your whole house is properly cooled, check the HVAC system’s blower fan. You should make sure that the blower fan is running on a constant basis. Don’t worry about energy use. Keeping the blower fan of your air conditioning system running constantly won’t use too much energy.
What is zoned cooling?
A zoned cooling system means that your home is cooled in separate zones. If your downstairs is especially cold in the winter, this is caused by the fact that cold air is dense. It is denser than warm air. This means that it will stay mostly on the bottom floor of your house. In the winter, you may find that the upstairs is nice and warm while ...