4 Ways To Remedy Uneven Cooling Multi-Story

Ever notice that the upstairs rooms of your home seem significantly warmer than rooms downstairs? You’re not alone. Tons of homeowners who live in multi-story residences suffer from uneven cooling, perfectly comfortable in the lower half of their home, yet sweating as if they’re in a sauna upstairs.

Some homeowners simply attribute this to the fact that hot air rises and resign themselves to living in a house with uneven cooling. However, there are ways that you can fix uneven cooling in a multi-story home. Check out the following tips from Bloomington Heating & Air to learn more.

Contact our heating and cooling company today to schedule air conditioning repair!

Add Insulation To Your Attic

If your second story frequently gets hotter than your ground floor, particularly on sunny days, the problem may be a lack of insulation in your attic. Without adequate insulation to successfully keep cool air in and hot air out, heat will travel through your attic into your upstairs rooms and make sustaining a cool, comfortable environment significantly more difficult. Ensure your attic has been suitably insulated and double-check that your insulation is the proper R-Value (resistance to heat flow) for your home’s specific region and structure.

Unblock Air Vents

Take some time to check the rooms upstairs for any closed, dirty, or obstructed vents and open them up to achieve improved airflow. Often, homeowners have furniture pushed up against their vents or registers without realizing it, unwittingly restricting airflow. Pull furniture away from air vents, and be sure to clear any dust or dirt that’s accumulated on your registers while they were obstructed. Conversely, you can try redirecting more cool air upstairs by slightly closing vents that are located downstairs. Just don’t close them entirely, or air pressure will build in your ductworks and potentially cause damage.

Switch Thermostat From Auto To On

A simple yet effective way to combat uneven cooling is switching your thermostat’s fan setting from “auto” to “on.” Essentially, when a thermostat is set to “auto,” the system’s fan will run until it cools the home’s interior down to the desired temperature, at which point it will shut off. This “auto” feature is convenient and energy-efficient; however, it doesn’t always result in evenly distributed air, generally shutting off only when the bottom floor has sufficiently cooled. Instead, set your thermostat’s fan to “on.” This will help ensure your fan doesn’t cut off prematurely and cools down each story of your home. Just be sure you remember to manually shut off the fan when your home’s upper levels reach a comfortable temperature.

Have Ductwork Checked For Leaks

Uneven cooling could be a symptom of a larger problem: an air duct leak. When ductwork becomes damaged and develops a leak, air will escape from holes, tears, and cracks before reaching its destination. This will make it much harder to significantly cool parts of your home. Not to mention, air duct leaks severely impact your system’s efficiency and can spike your utility bills. As part of our HVAC planned maintenance program, our heating and cooling experts inspect the ductwork for leaks and other problems that may contribute to uneven cooling. If you believe damaged ductwork may be the cause of your home’s uneven cooling, contact our HVAC company today!