5 Tips to Cool Your Second Floor
If your home is a two-story home, you might be struggling with a hot second floor. However, you might not even notice this difference in temperature until the hot months of summer. Perhaps you’ve tried turning the air conditioner up hoping that would help only to find that your second floor is still hotter than your first floor regardless of the extra cool air.
It might ease your mind to know that you are not the only homeowner who struggles with uneven home cooling in your multi-story home. In fact, like others, you might think that your air conditioning should cool down your entire home without any issues. However, this is not always the case. This is because, over time, different factors in your house can reduce your AC unit’s ability to cool your home evenly. Things like ductwork problems, system age and dirty filters could be the culprit, but they are definitely not the only causes of uneven cooling. Here’s what you can do.
- Check Windows
Check for leaks in your windows. If you do find you have leaks there are things you can do. For instance, if your windows are single-pane glass, your local hardware stores will typically carry coating systems that you can apply to keep the solar heat from seeping in your home during the summer. You can also try blocking out the direct sunlight buy drawing your shades and drapes.
- Ensure Cooling System is Running Efficiently
Ensure your AC unit is running efficiently and smoothly. You should make sure your ductwork is insulated and sealed and your air filters are clean. Ensure your registers are not blocked by drapes, furniture and rugs. Your registers should also be used appropriately. You can close the registers downstairs partially and open up your upstairs so that air is forced upwards. Create a wind-chill effect with your ceiling fans in the rooms upstairs. Ensure there is no dirt or leaves in your outside condensing unit.
- Redirect and Control Air with Air Vents
Check for dirty or blocked vents. If your furniture or something else is blocking your registers and vents, it can lead to uneven cooling. Debris and dust buildup can also contribute to this. You can remove dust and debris by vacuuming it out. You can also close up a few first floor vents to redirect air to your second floor rooms.
- Properly Insulate Attic
Your attic insulation has a big impact on your second floor. The temperature in your attic typically far exceeds the temperature outdoors and this creates a blanket of hot heat that just sits on top of your second floor. Therefore, you can create a barrier between your attic and second floor with insulation.
- Use an Attic Fan and Whole House Fan
Your roof takes a beating by the sun all day long which makes it hard to keep your home cool. Even though you have your AC unit on and it works hard to fight off the humidity and heat, you can actually help by installing an attic fan.
Also, you can use a whole house fan in moderate climates to help reduce your air conditioning use unless, of course, it’s extremely hot outside. A whole house fan creates a cool circulation by suctioning air from different parts of your home and replacing it with the air outside which is cooler.