What To Do If Your SW Oklahoma Home’s
Second Floor Is Too Hot
How To Ensure Year-Round Comfort In Your Entire Home
One of the more common complaints we hear from Southwest Oklahoma homeowners is their second floor is too hot. If you’re struggling to keep your second floor cool, there could be a few different issues at play.
While there will always be temperature differences in different rooms of your home, you can make some adjustments to help minimize the problem. In this post, we’ll take a look at some of the most common causes of hot second floors and what you can do about them.
Why Do Second Floors Overheat?
Despite having a well-sized central AC unit for your home, your second floor is still getting too hot. Why is this happening? We understand it can be unpleasant — especially if bedrooms are on this floor.
Heat Rises
The heat’s natural movement will naturally go to the second floor. Even if the same amount of cool air is applied to both the primary and second floors, the second floor will be hotter since the heat rises.
Roofs Absorb Heat
On a sunny day, your roof absorbs a lot of heat that will spread from the roof into the home’s upper levels. Even if your second floor has an attic above, some heat will always transfer to the second floor.
Inadequate Insulation
Inadequate insulation on your second floor could allow the outside heat to come in more easily. Poor insulation could also make it harder for the second floor to hold onto the cool air.
Circulation Issues
Circulation issues for your home’s AC could be the culprit as to why your second floor is hotter than it should be.
How To Fix The Temperature On Your Second Floor
You can help decrease the heat on the second floor of your home in several ways. Some can be solved with easily obtained items and simple tasks, while others may require a trained HVAC specialist.
1. HVAC Maintenance
Start with your HVAC system and ensure you have kept the maintenance up to par. For example, check to ensure your filters are not clogged, which could interrupt the airflow going into the second floor.
Secondly, check the outside unit to ensure there are no obstructions near it that could be interfering with airflow. Also, ensure that the registers on your second floor are open so that cool air can reach the second floor.
Is your AC thermostat set to auto? Auto mode is meant to kick the unit on when air is needed rather than manually. By using this feature, your air unit will run to cool the second floor. However, remember that if there are other issues at work — such as insulation, or ductwork issues, you may find this makes your HVAC unit runs continuously, leading to more problems.
2. Use More Fans On Your Second Floor
Fans are great for circulating air, and even if you do not have an issue with your AC cooling your home — fans are still a great option to use. Fans will help circulate the air better and can lead to better cooling.
Ideally, you want a ceiling fan running in each room on your second floor to help bring the cool air down to the living level. However, you will also find the use of desk fans great for cooling you down while you are on the second floor. You can also utilize box fans to help direct more air up the stairs or throughout the second level.
3. Ensure Blinds Or Shades Are Used On Windows
A ton of heat can come through the windows into your second floor when there are no curtains, blinds, or window shades. Consider installing darkening shades or curtains meant to block UV rays and heat.
While these items are often thought of as decor, they do serve a purpose in helping to reduce heat in a room as well!
4. Redirect Airflow
If you have vents that not only push air onto your first floor but maybe into a basement, then consider controlling the ductwork to allow more air to flow into your first floor. By doing this, you will be forcing more air to go up to the second floor rather than going to the basement.
Other times, people close a vent or two on their first floor in rooms they are not using to force more air to the second level.
5. Upgrade Your Thermostat
If you want an accurate reading for your HVAC system to turn off and on, install a thermostat with remote sensors. In most homes, the thermostat is located on the first floor. Thus, when the AC unit has cooled to the desired temperature on the first floor, the thermostat tells the AC unit to turn off.
With a thermostat with remote sensors, you have better control over the temperature since readings are taken with both sensors on the main and second floors.
If you set a thermostat at 73 degrees, the remote sensor upstairs may read 82 degrees, while the main floor sensor reads 72. In this instance, the AC would keep blowing cold air to try and cool the second floor to where it needs to be.
6. Invest In Zone-Controlled Systems
Zone-controlled systems with dampers are an excellent option for those who find that their second floor is always hotter no matter what they do. With this system in place, once a temperature is reached on the main floor, the system stops the dampers on the first floor but allows the second-floor dampers to stay open to cool the space down further.
7. Upgrade Your Current HVAC Unit
If your current HVAC unit is not meant to cool the total square footage of your main and second floors, then upgrading to a larger unit may be the only way to get your second floor more comfortable. A licensed professional will have to do an upgrade.
Free Quotes For Your SW Oklahoma Home
If the second floor of your SW Oklahoma home is much hotter than the main floor, consider using some of these tips. Want peace of mind with a professional assessment?
Contact us or call us today at 580-699-5760 to schedule an appointment to discover a solution to your issue.