Keep your whole house cool
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Summer is in full swing, and many households operate their air conditioning systems with full explosion to stay cool and comfortably indoors. But if you still feel warm on the upper floor, even with the air conditioning at full explosion, you probably ask yourself why.
According to the HLK expert – and physics – it is not uncommon for your upper level to feel warmer, especially in summer. However, there are some quick solutions that you can do to fix this problem.
As with most systems in the house, the best air conditioning systems regularly need care and maintenance to ensure that it always blows cold air around the house. So if you don't want to sweat it, we have the experts at hand to share your top tips as you can create as cool as you can create on the upper floor.
Why is my second floor always hot?
There is no rocket science to know that heat is increasing. However, experts suggest that our second or upper floors are actually another “climate”.
“Your second floor is not just a hotter version of your first floor, but another climate zone,” says Jon Gilberttsen, heating expert and CEO at Chris Heating & Cooling.
“It is more exposed to the sun, it exudes heat through the roof and the walls and often has a worse air flow. Treat your entire home with a thermostat and an HLK strategy such as trying to wear an outfit for Alaska and Arizona.
Imagine your second floor as a separate apartment. You would not use the same AC schedule for an attic study as a shaded basement. “
In addition, this means that your HLK system has to work harder to push cool air up. “But other factors such as poor insulation, sun-delayed windows and inefficient air flow or channels can make the problem worse,” adds Scott Levene, a licensed HLK specialist.
How can I make my second floor cooler?
Fortunately, there are some simple checks and adjustments that you can make so that your upper history feel cool and comfortable.
1. Change filter regularly
A simple tip is to check whether you have a blocked filter or a coil that can build up ruins over time, which limits the air flow.
“I saw how the second floors heated up as simple as a clogged filter or a dirty vaporizer coil,” said Brendan McCarthy, CEO and owner of the Salt Service Company.
“If the system cannot move efficiently, the upper level is always the first to suffer.
For this reason, I recommend replacing filters every or two months in the top cooling season, planning annual tune-ups and having a pro-check refrigerant and the air flow in the entire house. “
You can find more top tips here to clean a air conditioning system and keep them new.
2. Check whether your HLK system has zoning
Another thing that you should check is whether your AC has a zoning system. Essentially, a zoning system divides your home into several zones, each of which is controlled by your own thermostat.
“Essentially parts dampers (a small valve or a small plate) within the HLK channel your house in separate 'zones' to control the air flow and temperature for every area,” explains Drew Mansur, co-founder and director of Tilecloud.
“Since the hot air increases, the air flow/temperature requirements for the second floor (and beyond) vary from the ground of the soil. If you are not sure, speak to a specialist.”
As soon as this zoning is available, you can adjust temperature zones throughout the house to stay cool and comfortable.
Another frequent reason is an oversized system that cools down the first floor too quickly and is then switched off before the second floor ever gets relief.
“Ask to carry out a HLK technology, a manual J and Manual D analysis,” suggests Gilbertsen. “It calculates how much cooling each room actually needs and how the channels should be set.”
3. Repair your channels
If you find that your second floor is always hot, you may have faulty channels.
The channels absorb cool air and distribute them throughout your house. If your channels are old and do not work properly, your HLK system may have difficulty taking air in all parts of your house.
“If your leaky line is the source of your cooling problems, contact a local dealer to determine where your system needs repairs,” says Mark Woodruff, Senior Product Manager at Trane. “With a fully functional channel system, Cool Air can be properly distributed again on the second floor.”
4. Isolate your attic room
Regardless of whether you have an attic as an additional room or only for storage, it is important to have adequate insulation.
“A supporting attic is a frequent reason why second floors stay so hot,” explains Elizabeth Shavers, General Manager of HVAC & Plumbing at Oncourse Home Solutions. “Without adequate insulation, there is no strong buffer to keep the heat from the sun through your roof.
If this is a contributor, adequate insulation can make your attic a big difference in your temperature and energy costs on the upper floor. “
5. Block heat from windows
Another simple trick is to block light from windows to cool down a room.
“Sunlight through the windows on the upper floor adds a lot of additional heat,” added Brandon Young, CEO from Payess Power. “So use blackout curtains, solar tones or reflective film to keep the rooms cooler all day.”
Similarly, you can try to close your doors during the day to catch cool air in the rooms. And open them at night as soon as the temperatures fall.