Try adding extra insulation to your roof or attic. An attic fan can help circulate air and limit the amount of hot air lingering on your second floor. You may also want to try air sealing your attic to stop heat from getting in.
At least one large box fan (not in a bedroom) should be blowing the hot air upstairs OUT an upstairs window. Then open the windows in the bedrooms and the cool outside air will be pulled in. Close the windows in the morning so that the cooler air is trapped inside.
It's science. Cooler air settles into the lower areas of the house (usually where the thermostat is located); while heat from the outside begins to warm things up again. Because heat rises, the temperature on the second floor rises first, causing the second floor to feel warmer than the first floor.
Keep all windows shut upstairs except 1 at the ``end'' of the upper floor (as far from the stairs as possible). Put your box fan pointing OUT of that window and turn it on. It will slowly push the hot air out of the 2nd floor and draw up the cool air from below.
Zoned systems help solve many of the issues with how to regulate heat in a two-story home. Zoned systems use electrically actuated dampers in the ductwork to redirect hot or cold air where it is needed. With a zoned system, different rooms, bedrooms, or floors of a home can be zoned to have different temperatures.
So, every time you go to a higher floor, the thermostat settings ought to be lower than the previous floor by one or two degrees. During summer or warmer seasons, the opposite will apply. The lower floors will be one or two degrees lower than the upper ones.
To cool down a room without AC, make sure to use window fans, ceiling fans, or tower fans. Keep your room cooler all day by covering windows to prevent heat from sunlight coming in. You can also reduce humidity, block air leaks, and ventilate out hot air to cool your entire home.
Where Are Dampers Typically Located In Your Home? Usually, the dampers are somewhere between your heating and cooling system's supply duct and the trunk line. The main trunk line comes out of the furnace to provide air for the entire home. Of course, each home is different.
Having two AC systems to handle a 2-Story home may likely save you money every month. If you've been trying to get a single AC system to handle both floors, you may be putting too great a demand on your system. It may be working to put out more cool air than it was designed to do.
Other reasons for an insufficiently cooled upstairs could be the use of a single-zone system, faulty ductwork, or old air filters. Finally, remember that the basic rules of physics state that heat rises and cold air sinks. Plus, when it's scorching hot, the roof tends to overheat as well.
A standard but incorrect solution is closing vents. People think that if they close vents on the main floor, the system will push more cool air to the upper floor. This strategy often results in reduced cooling performance. If you have a minimal number of vents you should not close any.
Insulation plays a crucial role in maintaining a consistent temperature throughout your home. If your upstairs is warmer, the insulation there may not be as effective as it should be. Lastly, your HVAC system might not be distributing air evenly throughout your home, resulting in hot spots.
Clearing Obstructions for Better Airflow
Clearing obstructions around your portable air conditioner is vital to maximize airflow and enhance its cooling efficiency. Make sure there are no furniture, curtains, or other objects blocking the airflow from entering or exiting the unit.
Lay the cloth over the fan. As it blows the air out, it'll circulate through the cloth and the air will feel cooler. Make sure that the cloth cannot get caught on the fan in any way at all––if this is a possibility, don't use this method. Replace the cloth frequently, as they dry out.
Create cross ventilation by opening windows on opposite sides of the house to promote air circulation. Close curtains, blinds, or shades during the hottest parts of the day to block out direct sunlight and heat. Utilize exhaust fans in bathrooms and kitchens to remove hot air and humidity from these spaces.
You're Losing Heat Through the Attic
In that sense, the bedrooms aren't the top rooms in the house. Instead, that's the attic or crawl space. And, those areas are often uninsulated. So, the heat keeps going past the rooms on the second floor.
Ideal Thermostat Setting for Two-Story Houses
For example, if you set the AC to 68 degrees F upstairs, set the downstairs thermostat to 66 degrees F. Similarly, during the winter, you should set the bottom floor to the temperature you want and the top floor two degrees lower.
Open windows on opposite sides of the house to take advantage of natural airflow patterns and create cross-ventilation. This air flow pushes hot air out and lets cooler air in. To enhance the effect, put fans in the windows during the night to pull in more air. Shut your shades and close your curtains.