Every floor in your home should be a sanctuary that’s warm and comfy in the cold months and cool and comfortable in the summer. However, residents in some homes with multiple levels find the upper floor is stubbornly hotter or colder than the rooms on ground level.
This could merely be caused by the fact that most thermostats in a house are on the main floor, which is where people spend the most time—in the living room, kitchen, etc.—so it makes sense to set the temperature according to how it feels on the first floor.
However, temperature discrepancies between the upstairs and downstairs could also be due to problems with your HVAC system. Some of these challenges can be resolved somewhat quickly while others might call for more extensive and costly fixes. Here, the professionals at Spire Heating and Air Conditioning will help you figure out 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 traced to several factors. First, heat rises, so it’s common for the second floor of a home to get hotter than the ground floor. Poor insulation in the attic or roof can worsen this problem by permitting heat transfer from the roof into the upstairs rooms.
Another common reason is that the air conditioner is not big enough to cool the entire home, causing it to fight to cool the upstairs properly.
To deal with these issues, homeowners could add extra insulation in the attic and make sure their home has adequate ventilation. If there’s a question of whether the air conditioning unit is the ideal size for the home, call an experienced HVAC company like Spire Heating and Air Conditioning inspect the unit. A skilled 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 could result in a frosty night for anyone whose bedrooms are on the upper floor. The most common 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 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 disseminating conditioned air throughout different areas of the building. However, issues with the ductwork can contribute to the upstairs being colder than the lower floor. A typical explanation for this is improper airflow balance. The ducts may not be the correct size or in the appropriate layout, causing an uneven distribution of air between the floors. This can cause more warm air to flow downstairs, leaving insufficient airflow—which is the heated air—on the upper story.
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 restrict air circulation and cause inferior heating or cooling. In addition, leaks or gaps in the ductwork can allow air loss, reducing the overall efficiency of the HVAC system and actually making the temperature difference worse.
To understand why the upstairs is colder than the downstairs, homeowners should hve their ductwork inspected by skilled HVAC pros like the team at Spire Heating and Air Conditioning to identify any imbalances, leaks or inadequacies. Sealing leaks and putting in more vents or adjusting existing ones can help enhance airflow and ensure a more even temperature balance between the upstairs and downstairs.
Fixing the Hot or Cold Upstairs Problem?
If your upstairs is hotter or colder than the rest of your residence, an HVAC zoning system could be a highly effective solution.
An HVAC zoning system breaks the home into different zones, which each have their own thermostat and damper system so the homeowner can modify the heating or cooling of each zone.
This system can be very effective in instances where the upstairs of a multi-story home is very hot or really cold while the main floor is comfortable. By setting up a zoning system, homeowners can regulate the temperature independently in each zone, enabling them to address specific hot or cold spots effectively.
To discover more about an HVAC zoning system in Richardson, call Spire Heating and Air Conditioning. We’ve developed 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 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 cause for excess upper floor humidity is poor 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 the house infiltrate the upstairs rooms. Plus, if there are any leaks or plumbing issues on the upper floor, that can also lead to excess moisture in that area of a home.
To deal with humidity problems, homeowners can increase 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 stop external moisture from entering the upstairs. Finding 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 control humidity on the upper and lower floors.