Why is My Second Floor So Hot?

If your home is two-story, you’re probably well aware that the heat rises. However, if the temperatures you’re experiencing between the upstairs and downstairs rooms are different, this doesn’t always mean it’s your air conditioning unit not working properly. If your AC unit wasn’t doing its job, your downstairs would be affected as well, not just the second floor. So, why is your second floor hotter than your first? There could be a number of reasons with some including:

Thermostat Controls First Floor Only
Even though it’s pleasant seeing the sun streaming through your windows, it can negatively impact the temperature. Most homes have their thermostat on their first floor and when heat pours in through your second floor windows, it doesn’t affect your AC unit. You can keep temperatures cooler upstairs by closing your drapes and blinds, which act like additional insulation around your windows.

Poor Insulation in Your Attic
When heat rises, it moves towards cooler air and this means that when your attic space gets hotter during the summer which can have your attic reaching up to 150 degrees or more, the hot air will seep into your living spaces that are air conditioned, if your attic is not insulated properly. What happens is that the ceilings that are adjacent to hot attics tend to gain heat which puts stress on air conditionings units and making it harder for them to do their jobs.

Ductwork is Obstructed
If your second floor is hotter than your first, it could be an issue with your ductwork. Perhaps your ductwork is faulty or in bad shape. It may have dust or dirt in it. Anything that obstructs your ductwork can re-direct your cooler air from being able to reach upstairs in your home.

Roof is Hot
Your roof could be the reason why your second floor is hot during the summer. If your roof doesn’t deflect the sun or it’s not protected from it in some other way, it will absorb the heat from the sun. Then, this heat will seep through your attic and reach your second floor rooms which will make it harder for your AC unit to keep them cool.

What You Can Do about Your Hot Second Floor
If you notice uneven cooling in your home, it may signal a problem. You can try the above suggestions or have a professional come in and install a zoning system, which could be expensive.

Another thing that can help is an attic fan or a whole house fan. An attic fan replaces your attic’s extreme hot air which could get up to around 160F to cooler air that is around 85F. This should help keep the inside of your home cooler.

A whole house fan moves large amounts of air around. It has large blades and substantial pitch allowing it to move a large amount of air, drawing in cooler outside air when the windows are open. When you turn a whole house fan on, you can replace the hot, stale air with cooler outdoors air in under five minutes.

If you’re dealing with a hot second floor and are looking for relief this summer, give us a call at WholeHouseFan.com at 1.888.229.5757 to discuss your options.