My upstairs is really hot during the summer and my downstairs stays cool. My dad told me to start adding more insulation to the upstairs attic. I am doing this but will that help the upstairs to cool down? Half of my upstairs is finished and there is 1 vent in each bedroom (total of 2) I do not see anyreturn duct work. If I install that will that help?
Not uncommon.
It will almost surely cause the hot attic not to heat the upstairs so much.
If you stand on a chair, is the ceiling hot now? (I've never actually checked my ceiling, but I wish I had before I put in the roof fan.)
Unless you have loads of insulation there now, more insulation should help. I forget the recommendation but for fiberglass, the pink stuff or the other color, I think it is something like 6 or 8 inches, as amazing at that seems. Depending on where you live, etc. Don't rely on me to remmeber a number.
The warm air may go down the stairs and enter the furnace/AC through the stairwell. Find the intake to the AC and that will help make things clear (It's on the ohter side of the AC from the output. :) )
I think so. WEar a dust mask to not inhale the insulation. If it's not enough, come back here and talk about cooling the attic with a roof fan or additional passive venting.
Make sure the upstairs vents are actually open. How mnay vents downstairs? Maybe close one of them.
obstruct downstairs vents, this will force mre cold air upstairs and it will flow back down the steps.
have you checked the filter? a dirty clogged filter can cause this
Heat rises.
I have return ducts, but still notice air rather just come down the stairs.
Well I had the same temp difference, and I checked, my ceilings were HOT. I upgraded my insulation, and when I want as close a temp (top and bottom floors) I put the fan on recycle.
hth,
tom @
You didn't say if your home uses just a single AC system and one thermostat. Our house has two separate systems and two thermostats, one on the main floor and one on the second floor, making it easier to cllo just the floor(s) we're on at the time.
If it's a single system, follow the others' advice, close off some outlets on the main floor and see if more cool air comes out on the second floor.
Also, what's the venting like in your attic? A ridge vent and air inlets under the eaves helps a lot towards keeping the attic cool, as will a thermostatically controlled attic exhaust fan.
Jeff
Your dad's part right.
Can't have too much attic insulation, but you also need to block airflow from inside the shell into the attic or elsewhere.
Meaning: the insulation can't have any gaps, or it's relatively useless. By this, I mean air-passage.
Also: walls should be insulated as possible with no gaps- some builders have probs with insulation where walls meet ceiling.
Then- windows should be low-e and seal well. Doors too.
You now have a chance to keep it cool without lots of coal burnt at your friendly local power station.
(You could sleep downstairs for Jul/Aug., or use window- rattler to cool one room up there. FWIW.)
HTH, J
One house I had the attic access panel on the second floor was in the hall. Not far from the thermostat. Just 5/8 sheetrock panel that was caulked around the edges/trim . When the attic unit needed service the first time and the caulk "seal" was broken we could just feel the heat entering in the house. I can only imagine the energy loss through the space. Seal them up tight.
The house across the street was one bed room smaller than my house. His tstat was on the first floor and mine was on the second. I never understood that.
Check for leaking windows upstairs.
-- Oren
"The voices in my head may not be real, but they have some good ideas!"
In addition to the other good suggestions, you can try setting the AC fan switch to ON so that the fan runs all the time. This will help equalize the temperatures. Be really sure that your filter is clean and the blower is moving as much air as possible.
Don Young
Keep in mind though, running the 'fan' will increase your cost of operation while increasing your comfort level. While moving the air through out, it will also bring heat from the attic through the duct insulation to your living space.
Yeah, I tried this this week, but the problem was that they fan was never going to turn off. So I had to go down stairsand turn it off when I was already in bed, because I thought it had done all it would do. Especially since when not using the AC I open the windows at least at night if not during the day.
It did feel good with the cool basement air coming out the vent near my desk chair, and blowing on me, but the fan on the file cabinet actually gave a better breeze that sort of overwhelmed the basement air breeze.
OTOH, No bad smell either, even though there had been one the last 4 weeks of winter at my desk chair. Another problem solved without doing anything.
It only lowered the temp in the bathroom about a half degree, although the vent in the bathroom is closed, so it doesn't hcange temps quickly.
I don't have any ducts in my attic, so that is not an issue. The OP didn't say he had any.
Our heat wave was only 2 1/2 days, and it getting was nice yesterday afternoon and beautiful today in Baltimore.
The thermostat is in the same wall that goes around the chimney, so I could probably put extra swtiches of all sorts on a little panel in my bedroom closet, directly above the thermostat. This is one more reason to do so. I know about the remote thermostats also.
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