Second Floor Is Too Hot

What Causes The Second Floor To Be So Hot?

For many home owners, the second floor is too hot in warm weather. During the hot summers, you may notice that your second floor can become several degrees warmer than the first.

You’ve tried cranking up the AC but that only makes the first floor too cold and the second floor remains the same. What is going on?

• Hot Air Rises

Thermodynamics states that hot air naturally rises, so essentially it would make sense that your second floor is warmer than the first.

When you air conditioner is running, it has to work harder to get air to the second floor as cool air does not naturally flow in an upward direction.

There are a couple different factors that determine how hard you air conditioner must work to cool your upper floors:

• How old your air conditioner is
• The total number of rooms in the home
• Your roof (yes, your roof)
• Duct work and insulation

If you air conditioner is close to the end of it’s lifespan, it will have to naturally work harder than newer AC’s to cool the upper floors.

Also, if you have many different rooms in your home, the air must be dispersed over a larger area, taking it longer too cool. Surprisingly, your roof can be a culprit in keeping your second floor so hot.

If you roof does not have some kind of sun deflecting coating, the suns heat will be absorbed into the roof and into your attic, heating the upper floors.

Finally, if your duct work is not properly sealed or routed, it can make it extremely hard for your air conditioner to get air up to the second floor. Gaps and leaks in duct work can leak air into places you may not want to be cooled.

How Can I Fix This?

• One option would be to redirect the air flow to the second floor by closing some dampers in your basement. These are usually located on the duct work leading to the first floor. If you close them halfway or so, this will essentially push more air up to the second floor areas. Keep in mind, this will possibly make your first floor a tad bit warmer however.
• A simple check to look for would be your furnace filter. If your filter is dirty, it will restrict air flow from reaching any part of your home and ultimately make your HVAC system work harder than it needs to.
• Insulation in your home is something that should be checked as well. Make sure your attic and second floor are properly insulated to prevent the cool air from escaping your home. Another area to check insulation on would be your windows. Make sure to seal any gaps or holes in the edges to prevent air seepage.
• You can also change the fan setting on your thermostat from “Auto” to “On”. This will make your HVAC system’s fan run all of the time, not just when your AC or furnace is running. By doing this, you can keep a constant flow of air throughout your home. This can also help in cleaning the air is it is always being recirculated through your furnace filter.
• Last but not least, you may consider adding a ductless hvac unit to this area of your home. Ductless hvac units are a great way to control a specific area of your home apart from the rest.