Hot Upstairs!

10 years ago

The upstairs of our 30yr old house is about 10 degrees hotter in the summer, like a sauna, it seems. We don't go upstairs during the day. We only go upstairs to sleep at night. We have CA and gas heat. We also have ceiling fans in all 4 bedrooms. We have some stand fans that I have put in the 2 bedrooms that we use regularly., but it is uncomfortable. The stand fans have it easier to sleep at nite. The difference in temp can be felt going up the stairs to the 2nd flr. Each room has a vent for heating and cooling, and I can feel the cold air coming out. I know that building code allows for a standard temp difference of several degrees from one floor to the next. We have the original bat insulation in our attic, walls, etc. I am looking for a solution that will make the entire upstairs cooler, and appreciate any help/tips, etc. Thanks so much everyone.

Featured Answer

janeway452

10 years ago

last modified: 10 years ago

Update: This works! I can no sleep upstairs during the hot summer months. No window air conditioner, no through the wall air conditioner, no no-duct air conditioner, no air duct booster fan. Just a simple fan at the bottom of the stairs I put it on high about two hours before I plan to go to bed and it's astounding how the temperature and humidity drops. I still use the ceiling fan and turn the AC to 71, but that's the same as I did when sleeping downstairs. The only down side is that there is a fan at the bottom of the stairs, but for now I can live with it, especially considering the benefit.

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Comments (7)

klem1
10 years ago
How long have you live in this house and was it been like this since you moved in? There are a number of things you can do to help,some will likly require hands on by professionals. Heavy drapes,double pane windows and have insulation checked to see if additional is needed to name a few. Naturally the ac should be looked at to make certain it's performing well. Are you looking at diy for insulation and other things? Call your utility company about a free energy audit.
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tigerdunes
10 years ago
your location?....what have been recent outside temps?...what size living area for upstairs zone?...what is overall size of your home and size/age of AC...when was it last serviced?...very little that you can do that would noticeably improve the situation...where is ductwork located for the upstairs rooms?. insulation upgrade would help but most likely marginally only...there are always window units but you could consider a separate split system or even a mini split, not exactly inexpensive options...

IMO
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ionized_gw
10 years ago
If you are lucky, there are some duct damper levers somewhere in your system to adjust air flow to match seasonal changes.
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tigerdunes
10 years ago
good idea about dampers...if you have them, they would be on supply trunk lines to lower and upper floors...worth a try if available, doubt they are...

IMO
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ionized_gw
10 years ago
I've seen multiples in two-story homes at least a couple of times. One had a damper to each room with positions labeled "summer" and "winter". The house had, originally, a heat-only system (coal-fired for a first furnace). It had cooling added at some point and still had a return and supply in each room.
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janeway452
10 years ago
I've lived in my house for 24 years with the "too hot to sleep upstairs in the summer" problem, never being able to figure out a solution. Well, I think I've found a solution. I was at my sister's and noticed she had a fan tilted up from the foot of the stairs. It seems so logical: force the colder air from downstairs up the stairs. I immediately went home and tried it out and it really works. I also have a floor vent that really produces just feet from the fan. When I walk up the steps you can feel the cold air all the way the top. The drop in temperature and humidity was dramatic. Also, hot air is not coming downstairs. I've been sleeping downstairs in the summer for years and I crank down the AC to 72 which is pretty cold for me. The first night I checked the temp upstairs about 1:30 AM and the temp was 73! I'm going to give it a try tonight. The fan I found has a timer, which is helpful. I think I'll start on high for a couple of hours and then when I go to bed, put it on low. So upstairs, I'll be using the ceiling fan and the regular vents will be getting the assist they need. It's not perfect, but cheap and so easy to implement. So give it a try and see if it might work for you.
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