How To Keep Your Home’s Second Story Cool

During the hot summer months, these tips will help keep your second story and entire home cool. When the weather heats up and your air conditioner is constantly running, it might be difficult to keep the second floor as cool as you’d want. You can, however, keep everyone in your house pleased with a little know-how. We’ve compiled some air conditioning recommendations to keep your home’s various floors at a pleasant temperature.

1. Install A Vent Or Attic Fan

Because hot air rises, keeping a home’s second story cool is more difficult than keeping the first. Installing a fan or vent in your attic will help keep hot air moving up and out of your home while also circulating cool air.

You can also use a thermostat to turn on the fan when the temperature in the attic reaches a certain level. This feature will aid in the removal of hot air from the attic and throughout the house. An attic fan or vent might help you save money on cooling expenditures in your house.

2. Maintain An Open Door Policy

You may have heard that closing the doors to empty rooms helps circulate the air conditioning and keeps the rest of the house cooler. This, however, is not the case.

Air conditioners are designed to chill the entire house, not just a few rooms. By closing the doors to empty rooms, hot air is trapped, affecting the air conditioner’s performance. Keep the doors open to allow air to circulate around your home.

3. Close The Blinds And Drapes

Your thermostat will only react to the temperature on the first floor if it is located there. When a result, even as the temperature rises upstairs, the thermostat will not register the change since it is too far away.

The discrepancy can be mitigated by insulating your second-floor rooms from the sun’s heat. Keep the curtains drawn to prevent your rooms from becoming too warm. Install window film on windows that don’t have any covers to keep the sun’s heat at bay. Skylights can also benefit from window film.

4. Close First-Floor Registers Partially

Airflow on the first floor can be restricted slightly to aid boost airflow on the second floor. By slightly closing the first-floor registers, you can help carry the cool air up to the second level, where it’s desperately needed.

5. Change The Fan’s Setting From “Auto” To “On”

The fan will keep air moving throughout the house if you set your thermostat to “on” rather than “auto.” Whether or not the air conditioner is working, the “on” setting will keep the entire house cooler.

6. Install A Ceiling Fan

When combined with air conditioners, ceiling fans will keep cold air circulating in hotter higher rooms. Ceiling fans can cost as little as $50 at a home improvement store, but they can also cost as much as $1,400. A ceiling fan installation costs $245 on average.

While this isn’t the cheapest project, the cost of buying and installing a ceiling fan may be offset by lower summer utility expenditures.

7. Before Summer Arrives, Have Your Air Conditioner Serviced

To keep your air conditioner in good operating order, regular maintenance is required. Make an appointment with a local air conditioner repair shop before the summer season begins, when these businesses are busier with repairs and installations.

8. Regularly Inspect Your Filters

A clogged filter can prevent your air conditioner from working properly. The filter is located on the air return side of a horizontal unit. The filter will be above or below the unit if you have a vertical air conditioner.

Check your filters once a month to ensure they’re clean and working properly. Keep a supply of new filters on available to replace any that become clogged.

9. During The Hottest Hours, Turn Off Your Dryer And Oven

Because your dryer and oven produce hot air, your air conditioner will have to work more during the hottest part of the day. If at all feasible, use these equipment in the morning or evening.

10. Plants And Grass Around Your Condenser Should Be Trimmed

Overgrowth around your condenser could be the cause of your air conditioner not cooling. Plants, grime, and weeds will prevent your air conditioner condenser from operating at full capacity. For optimal output, there should be a 4 foot unobstructed area surrounding the condenser.

11. Your Thermostat Should Be Upgraded

If your thermostat isn’t a digital programmable system, you should consider replacing it with one. Digital thermostats provide for more precise temperature and scheduling. Digital systems can be programmed to turn on and off at specific times and temperatures.

Many are also smartphone-enabled, allowing you to instantly control the temperature of your home while you’re gone. If you want your house to be lovely and cool when you come home from a long day at work or a day out, a digital thermostat can assist.

12. Think About Getting A Second Air Conditioner

If you’ve tried everything to increase the operation of your air conditioner on the second level, it might be time to consider getting a separate unit for the upstairs. That way, you can have a separate thermostat for the second floor and control the temperature separately from the first.

A local air conditioner installation company can assist you set up your new system so that everyone is cool in no time.