Your entire residence should be a refuge that’s warm and toasty in the winter season and cool and comfortable in the summer. However, families who live in some multi-level residences find the upper floor is stubbornly hotter or colder than the first floor.
This could simply 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 differences between the upstairs and downstairs could also be caused by issues with your HVAC system. Some of these difficulties can be fixed fairly quickly while others might call for more extensive and costly fixes. Here, the team at Fal-Ken Heating & Cooling Corporation will help you determine why the upstairs of your home is hotter than downstairs, or vice versa.
Why Is It Hot Upstairs?
The phenomenon of the upstairs of a two-story home feeling hotter than the downstairs can be attributed to several factors. First, heat rises, so it’s common for the second floor of a home to get hotter than the first floor. Not enough insulation in the attic or roof can make this worse by allowing heat transfer from the roof into the upstairs rooms.
Another common reason is that the HVAC system is not big enough to cool the entire home, causing it to struggle to cool the upstairs properly.
To deal with these issues, homeowners could add extra insulation in the attic and make sure their home has proper ventilation. If there’s a question of whether the air conditioner is the ideal size for the home, call an experienced HVAC company like Fal-Ken Heating & Cooling Corporation inspect the unit. A qualified professional also can help locate a unit that's better suited for your home if you are considering air conditioning installation or replacement.
Why Is My Upstairs Always Cold/Not Heating?
When the downstairs of your home is warm, but it’s freezing upstairs, that could result in a frosty night for anyone whose bedrooms are on the upper floor. The most prevalent causes of an upstairs not heating like it should are the insulation levels and the ductwork.
Inadequate insulation permits cold air to leak through the home’s attic or walls and contribute to heat loss, resulting in colder temperatures on higher floors. It’s essential to make sure your home has a solid, 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 very important role in distributing conditioned air throughout different areas of the building. However, troubles with the ductwork can result in the upstairs being colder than the lower floor. A frequently reported cause for this is improper airflow balance. The ducts may not be the correct size or design, causing an uneven distribution of air between the floors. This can cause more warm air to go downstairs, leaving insufficient airflow—which is the heated air—on the upper level.
Another possible issue with the ductwork is the placement of the supply and return vents. If there are fewer vents on the upper level or they are not correctly installed, it can restrict air circulation and cause inadequate heating or cooling. Additionally, leaks or gaps in the ductwork can lead to air loss, decreasing the overall efficiency of the HVAC system and actually making the temperature difference worse.
To determine why the upstairs is colder than the downstairs, homeowners should hve their ductwork examined by experienced professionals like the team at Fal-Ken Heating & Cooling Corporation to identify any imbalances, leaks or inadequacies. Sealing leaks and installing more vents or adjusting existing ones can help improve 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 residence, an HVAC zoning system could be a highly effective solution.
An HVAC zoning system divides the residence into distinctive zones, which each have their own thermostat and damper system so the homeowner can customize the heating or cooling of each zone.
This system can be very helpful in situations where the upstairs of a multi-story home is too hot or too cold while the main floor is comfortable. By investing in a zoning system, homeowners can manage the temperature independently in each zone, allowing them to address specific hot or cold spots easily.
To discover more about an HVAC zoning system in Holbrook, call Fal-Ken Heating & Cooling Corporation. We’ve created and installed customized home comfort plans for many community members and are happy to show how an HVAC zoning system could enhance the comfort in your home.
Why Is My Upstairs So Humid?
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 upstairs is more humid than downstairs.
A common cause for excess upper floor humidity is poor ventilation on the upper floor, which can produce greater 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 problems on the upper floor, that can also cause excess moisture in that section of a home.
To deal with humidity problems, homeowners can improve ventilation by getting fans or opening windows to promote airflow. Appropriate levels of insulation in the attic and better sealing the attic and walls can help stop external moisture from entering the upstairs. Finding 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 reduce humidity on the upper and lower floors.