Do you live in a multi-story home? You may notice that the upper levels tend to be much warmer than the lower level. For those who have an air conditioning unit for each floor, your upper floor unit will work much harder and longer to keep the upper floor cool. For those who want to understand why this is so, Hal Mechanical will share why the upper floors are always warmer and harder to cool down than the lower floors and what solutions are available to fix this problem.
How Does Heat Rise in a House?
When it comes to the battle for a cool and comfortable upstairs, there is a lot of elements you are fighting against. The first reason why the upper floor will always be warmer is because heat rises and cool air drops. When running the air conditioning upstairs, eventually the cooler air upstairs will drop downstairs. This is a natural phenomenon. However it is one we can work with to help keep the home more comfortable. Another major contributor is the roof and attic space. The roof is exposed to the sun all day long and the roof itself will begin to get very hot which adds to the heat in the upper floor. As the roof gets hot the inside of the attic will also become hot. An attic can easily reach 140 degrees F or more if the attic is poorly ventilated. The roof and attic space will influence the temperature in the upper levels.
Air Duct Leaks Can Make Upstairs Hot & Downstairs Cold
Air duct leaks can be another cause for the upper level of a home to be warm. When the upstairs seem to stay warm and never cool down there may be a leak in the air ducts. The cool air is leaking out of the air ducts and not into the home. It is fairly common for the air ducts to leak 25% or more of the cool air produced by the air conditioner. If the leaks are in the return side of the cooling system, it will draw in more humidity and unfiltered air which will cause the evaporator coils to become dirty and clogged. If you have a separate unit for the upstairs and the air duct on the return side has a leak the upper floor unit will struggle to cool down the inside of the home.
Uninsulated Ductwork Can Make Upstairs Hot
Air ducts that are uninsulated is another major problem that could be the cause of the upstairs staying uncomfortably warm. When the air ducts are not insulated the attic is very hot which means the cool air produced by the air conditioner will be compromised simply by running through the air ducts. This can affect the entire home’s temperature. However, due to the additional elements forcing the upstairs staying warmer, it is a failing battle when the air ducts are not insulated.
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The upstairs of a home is constantly being warmed up which means keeping the upstairs cool will cost a fortune or is a losing battle if not addressed. However, there is a solution to this problem. Hal Mechanical will share solutions to a hot upstairs in a future blog, and what you can do to better manage your upstairs temperature. For quality HVAC services, contact Hal Mechanical today.
