Your entire residence should be a sanctuary 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 rooms on ground level.
This could merely be due to the fact most thermostats in a house are on the main floor, which is where people spend the the majority of 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 due to problems with your HVAC system. Some of these difficulties can be solved fairly quickly while others might call for more extensive and costly fixes. Here, the specialists at Korando Heating & Cooling, Inc. 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 becoming hotter than the downstairs can be chalked up to several factors. Number one, heat rises, so it’s natural for the second floor of a home to get hotter than the ground floor. Lack of insulation in the attic or roof can make this worse by letting heat transfer from the roof into the upstairs rooms.
Another common reason is that the air conditioning is not powerful enough to cool the entire home, causing it to struggle to cool the upstairs effectively.
To deal with these issues, homeowners could install more insulation in the attic and make sure their home has sufficient ventilation. If there’s a question of whether the air conditioner is the right size for the home, call an experienced HVAC company like Korando Heating & Cooling, Inc. inspect the unit. A knowledgeable professional also can help select a unit that's better suited for your home if you want 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 explanations for an upstairs not heating like it ought to are the insulation levels and the ductwork.
Inadequate insulation enables cold air to leak through the home’s attic or walls and contribute to heat loss, creating colder temperatures on higher floors. It’s essential to make sure your home has a deep, level layer of insulation in the attic and proper insulation in the walls to keep the cold out and the heat inside.
The ductwork in a home plays a critical role in distributing conditioned air throughout different rooms of the building. However, issues with the ductwork can result in the upstairs being colder than the downstairs. A frequently reported cause for this is improper airflow balance. The ducts may not be the proper size or configuration, which results in 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 location of the supply and return vents. If there are fewer vents on the upper story or they are poorly placed, it can limit air circulation and cause inferior heating or cooling. Also, leaks or gaps in the ductwork can lead to air loss, reducing the overall efficiency of the HVAC system and exacerbating the temperature difference.
To figure out why the upstairs is colder than the downstairs, homeowners should hve their ductwork examined by experienced professionals like the team at Korando Heating & Cooling, Inc. to identify any imbalances, leaks or inadequacies. Sealing leaks and installing additional vents or adjusting existing ones can help enhance airflow and ensure a better temperature balance between the upstairs and downstairs.
How You Can Fix a Hot or Cold Upstairs?
If your upstairs is hotter or colder than the ground level of your residence, an HVAC zoning system could be a great solution.
An HVAC zoning system separates the home into distinct 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 particularly 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 control the temperature independently in each zone, making it possible for them to address specific hot or cold spots easily.
To learn more about an HVAC zoning system in Chester, call Korando Heating & Cooling, Inc.. 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 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 downstairs.
A common cause for excess upper floor humidity is inadequate ventilation on the upper floor, which can cause higher humidity levels. As is often the case with temperature differences between floors, poor insulation or sealing in the attic or walls may permit warm, humid air from outside infiltrate the upstairs rooms. Plus, if there are any leaks or plumbing problems on the upper floor, that can also lead to unwanted moisture in that area of a home.
To address humidity problems, homeowners can improve ventilation by installing 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. Identifying and repairing any leaks or plumbing issues is also critical.
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.
