If you’ve ever wondered why your home’s second floor is always so much hotter than the first, this is the blog for you! It’s a super common issue – and even though you’ve tried turning up the heat, opening windows, or closing vents – nothing really seems to help, and on hot summer days you may find yourself hiding from the heat on your bottom floors.
So why does this happen?
Why is my Second Floor So Hot?
Second floor overheating is simple to explain, but can be more complicated to fix. Let’s take a look at the most common reason your second floor is so much hotter than your first.
Heat Always Rises
Your HVAC units are generally installed on the first floor of your home. After all, it wouldn’t make much sense to have them attached to the second floor! On hot days, your system pushes cool air into your house, and when it does, it falls to the first floor and pushes all the hot air upwards.
Poor Insulation & Ductwork
When the insulation of your home is old or poorly installed, your AC unit will have to work a lot harder to put out the same amount of cool air. That alone can cause some overheating issues.
The same goes for your duct system – if it’s old, faulty, or just not efficiently installed, the cool air your AC unit pumps out simply cannot get everywhere it needs to be… and you’ll feel the heat as a result.
The worst part of all this? It drives up your monthly cooling costs, too.
Solar Powered (In a Bad Way!)
Sometimes, depending on the environment your home was built around, your roof will simply absorb too much sunlight. This heats the attic, and as we mentioned above, the cold air pushed in by your AC system will keep it there… and on really hot days, it’ll permeate into the second floor and make you all miserable!
So How Do We Fix it?
Now that you know what causes the dreaded second-floor heatwave, let’s see what we can do to fix it.
Change Your Filters
Be sure your filters are clean. This is the fastest, cheapest, easiest way to ensure that the cool air of your home is being distributed efficiently, which helps to maintain your temperature equilibrium.
Re-Insulate
If you run into frequent heat balance problems, it might be time to have an HVAC or insulation expert assess your windows, doors, and attic. Sometimes this alone can be the difference between a well-cooled home and a tale of two different temperature floors.
Keep the Fan Running
On the hottest days, turn your thermostat fan setting from “auto” to “on” . This will keep air moving continuously, and surprisingly lessens the load on your system, as it doesn’t have to turn on and off as much.
Second Floor Still Too Hot? Give the HVAC Pros at Hoosier Indoor Air a Call
If you’ve tried these fixes and still don’t have the relief you are looking for, get in touch. Call Hoosier Indoor Air today at (317) 466-7437 to schedule an appointment and free estimate. We’ll figure out what needs to be done, and work with you to take care of it.
Stay cool, Indiana!
