Two-story homes often encounter problems with their upper floors getting much warmer than the lower floors. Heat rises, so heat tends to gather in the upper levels of a house. Another cause is heat coming through the roof on sunny days. A hot upper floor can happen even in a home with a powerful heating and air conditioning system and well-designed ductwork, and it can occur at any time of the year. However, ineffectual ducts and malfunctioning comfort systems can contribute to the problem.
How to Fix the Second Floor Heat Problem
Are you just stuck with a stuffy and warm upper floor? There are ways to fix this problem, and you can count on our professionals to help you discover what needs to be done.
HVAC Repairs
One of the first things to investigate when you have a hot second story in your house is if trouble in the heating or ventilation system is behind it. A furnace or other heater that is running longer than it should will lead to an uneven distribution of hot air, and most of it will rise to the second story. The ductwork to the second floor may be poorly designed, making proper circulation of air difficult. Technicians can repair your heater or take care of duct repair and replacement services.
Upgrade the HVAC System With Zone Controls
Zone controls allow you to manipulate the climate in different sections of your home (“zones”) separately from each other. A home can have as many zones as there are rooms, but a two-story house may be good with only two zones: upstairs and downstairs. Dampers inside the ductwork can block off the flow of air to the different zones, and the variable speed blower fan controls how much energy the system uses. To prevent overheating the upper floors, zone controls can be set so the upstairs and downstairs are cooled/heated at different times to allow for a more even spread.
Better Insulation
The trouble with a hot upper floor may be due to poor insulation in the attic or sealing around windows. A well-insulated attic will stop heat from seeping down to the second floor.
Change the HVAC Air Filter Regularly
When the air filter in your HVAC system becomes clogged up, it restricts airflow into the ventilation system. This is a common cause of uneven heating and cooling. We recommend you change the filter every 1 to 3 months during the year. The stronger the filter, the less often the filter needs to be replaced.
Run the HVAC Fan When Not Heating or Cooling
The “fan only” mode on your HVAC system is helpful for keeping comfort distributed evenly. The fan doesn’t use much energy (much less than running the air conditioner’s compressor or the furnace’s burners) and helps air circulation through the house that will remove hot spots.
If you need ventilation or heating repair in Fresno, CA to fix a hot upper story, trust to our technicians. We’re not only experienced and trained with heating and air conditioning system service, we have a long history in duct repair and duct design.
At Purl’s Sheet Metal & Air Conditioning, “Quality Is the Cornerstone of Our Success!” Schedule heating repair with our team.