Your entire home should be a refuge that’s warm and comfy in the winter and cool and comfortable in the summer. However, families who live in some two-story homes find the upper floor is stubbornly hotter or colder than the main floor.
This could merely be caused by the fact that most thermostats in a house are on the first floor, which is where people spend the most time—in the living room, kitchen, etc.—so they set the temperature according to how it feels on the first floor.
However, temperature variations between the upstairs and downstairs could also be caused by trouble with your HVAC system. Some of these issues can be resolved somewhat quickly while others might call for more extensive and costly fixes. Here, the team at Haselhoff Air Solutions will help you solve 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 getting hotter than the downstairs can be chalked up to several factors. First, heat rises, so it’s natural for the second floor of a home to get hotter than the ground floor. Poor insulation in the attic or roof can exacerbate this issue by letting heat transfer from the roof into the upstairs rooms.
Another common reason is that the air conditioner is not powerful enough to cool the entire home, causing it to fight to cool the upstairs properly.
To tackle these issues, homeowners could install more insulation in the attic and make sure their home has adequate ventilation. If there’s a possibility the AC is the proper size for the home, call an experienced HVAC company like Haselhoff Air Solutions inspect the unit. A qualified professional also can help select a unit that's better suited for your home if you need 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 can cause an ice-cold 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 allows cold air to leak through the home’s attic or walls and contribute to heat loss, causing colder temperatures on the upper levels. It’s crucial to make sure your home has a deep, 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 disseminating conditioned air throughout different areas of the building. However, problems with the ductwork can result in the upstairs being colder than the main level. A common explanation for this is improper airflow balance. The ducts may not be the correct size or design, creating an uneven distribution of air between the floors. This can cause more warm air to be directed to the downstairs, leaving insufficient airflow—which is the heated air—on the higher floors.
Another potential problem area in the ductwork is the layout of the supply and return vents. If there are fewer vents on the upper story or they are not correctly positioned, it can limit air circulation and cause substandard heating or cooling. In addition, 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 figure out why the upstairs is colder than the downstairs, homeowners should hve their ductwork inspected by experienced experts like the team at Haselhoff Air Solutions to identify any imbalances, leaks or inadequacies. Sealing leaks and adding more vents or adjusting existing ones can help enhance airflow and ensure a better temperature balance between the upstairs and downstairs.
What Do I Do to Fix a Hot/Cold Upstairs?
If your upstairs is hotter or colder than the rest of your house, an HVAC zoning system could be an effective solution.
An HVAC zoning system breaks 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 especially useful in scenarios where the upstairs of a multi-story home is too hot or too cold while the main floor is comfortable. By setting up a zoning system, homeowners can control the temperature independently in each zone, allowing them to address specific hot or cold spots effectively.
To find out more about an HVAC zoning system in Ames, call Haselhoff Air Solutions. We’ve designed 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 it So Humid 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 upper floors are more humid than the lower level.
A frequent explanation for excess upper floor humidity is inadequate ventilation on the upper floor, which can produce greater humidity levels. As is often the case with temperature differences between floors, inadequate insulation or sealing in the attic or walls may allow warm, humid air from outside the house infiltrate the upstairs rooms. And, if there are any leaks or plumbing issues on the upper floor, that can also create excessive moisture in that area of a home.
To correct humidity problems, homeowners can improve ventilation by using fans or opening windows to promote airflow. Proper 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 extremely important.
Depending on the levels of moisture found in the home, a whole-home dehumidifier could be another helpful tool to reduce humidity in the residence.