Your entire home should be a retreat that’s warm and toasty in the cold months and cool and comfortable in the summer. However, residents in some multi-level residences find the upper floor is stubbornly hotter or colder than the main floor.
This could just be due to the fact most thermostats in a house are on the first floor, which is where people spend the greatest amount of time—in the living room, kitchen, etc.—so as a result they tend to set the temperature according to how it feels on the first floor.
However, temperature variations between the upstairs and downstairs could also be because of trouble with your HVAC system. Some of these issues can be solved relatively quickly while others might require more extensive and costly fixes. Here, the specialists at Air Temperature Control will help you solve why the upstairs of your home is hotter than downstairs, or vice versa.
Why Is It Hotter Upstairs?
The phenomenon of the upstairs of a two-story home becoming hotter than the downstairs can be chalked up to several factors. For starters, heat rises, so it’s normal for the second floor of a home to get hotter than the main floor. Insufficient insulation in the attic or roof can make this worse by permitting heat transfer from the roof into the upstairs rooms.
Another common reason is that the air conditioner is not strong enough to cool the entire home, causing it to have difficulty cooling the upstairs sufficiently.
To tackle these issues, homeowners could put in more insulation in the attic and make sure their home has adequate ventilation. If there’s a possibility the AC is the ideal size for the home, call an experienced HVAC company like Air Temperature Control inspect the unit. A skilled professional also can help find a unit that's better suited for your home if you require air conditioning installation or replacement.
Why Is My Upstairs Colder/Not Heating?
When the downstairs of your home is warm, but it’s freezing upstairs, that can cause a frosty night for anyone whose bedrooms are on the upper floor. The most frequent reasons an upstairs not heating like it ought to are the insulation levels and the ductwork.
Inadequate insulation permits cold air to filter through the home’s attic or walls and contribute to heat loss, causing colder temperatures on the upper levels. It’s essential to make sure your home has a thick, level layer of insulation in the attic and adequate insulation in the walls to keep the cold out and the heat inside.
The ductwork in a home plays a fundamental role in circulating conditioned air throughout different rooms of the building. However, issues with the ductwork can cause the upstairs being colder than the downstairs. A frequently reported reason for this is improper airflow balance. The ducts may not be the proper size or configuration, creating an uneven distribution of air between the floors. This can cause more warm air to flow downstairs, causing insufficient airflow—which is the heated air—on the upper story.
Another factor with ductwork is the location of the supply and return vents. If there are fewer vents on the upper floor or they are poorly installed, it can limit air circulation and cause inferior heating or cooling. Additionally, leaks or gaps in the ductwork can allow air loss, reducing the overall efficiency of the HVAC system and making the temperature difference more pronounced.
To understand why the upstairs is colder than the downstairs, homeowners should hve their ductwork checked by skilled experts like the team at Air Temperature Control to identify any imbalances, leaks or inadequacies. Sealing leaks and installing more vents or adjusting existing ones can help increase airflow and ensure a more consistent temperature balance between the upstairs and downstairs.
Fixing the Hot or Cold Upstairs Problem?
If your upstairs is hotter or colder than the lower floors of your house, an HVAC zoning system could be a useful solution.
An HVAC zoning system separates the household into distinctive zones, which each have their own thermostat and damper system so the homeowner can control the heating or cooling of each zone.
This system can be very helpful in scenarios where the upstairs of a multi-story home is very hot or extremely cold while the main floor is comfortable. By setting up a zoning system, homeowners can manage the temperature independently in each zone, allowing them to address specific hot or cold spots easily.
To learn more about an HVAC zoning system in Macon, call Air Temperature Control. We’ve developed and installed customized home comfort plans for many community members and are happy to show how an HVAC zoning system could work in your home.
Why Is the Humidity So High Upstairs?
In addition to the upper story being hotter or colder than the rest of the house, another issue in multi-floor homes is when the higher levels are more humid than the lower level.
A typical explanation for excess upper floor humidity is inadequate ventilation on the upper floor, which can cause increased humidity levels. As is often the case with temperature differences between floors, poor insulation or sealing in the attic or walls may let warm, humid air from outside infiltrate the upstairs rooms. In addition, if there are any leaks or plumbing issues on the upper floor, that can also create extra moisture in that section of a home.
To deal with humidity problems, homeowners can add more ventilation by getting fans or opening windows to promote airflow. Adding more insulation in the attic and better sealing the attic and walls can help prevent external moisture from entering the upstairs. Locating and repairing any leaks or plumbing issues is also imperative.
Depending on the levels of moisture found in the home, a whole-home dehumidifier could be another worthwhile tool to control humidity on the upper and lower floors.