Heat rises. That’s a basic fact of physics, nothing will change that. It’s the reason that the second floor of a house tends to get hotter than the ground floor. It can be a problem in both summer and winter, trying to cool down the house or avoid the upper floor from overheating.
However, an effective HVAC system for a home, particularly a newer home with good insulation, can strike the right balance and keep the second floor from getting too hot and create a good, even distribution of comfort through the house.
You, however, aren’t currently enjoying this situation. At least not if you’re reading this intently. Your house has previously not had a serious problem in winter with a boiling second floor. But now it’s become such a sauna where going outside in the cold seems like a better option. Why is this happening?
The thermostat is misreading the temperatures
This is one of the most common reasons for uneven floor heating. If the thermostat begins to misread the house temperature, it may stay on and run longer. This won’t be much of a problem for the ground floor because the heat will rise up to the second floor. But now the second floor has far more heating: both what it’s receiving directly and from the rising extra heat. If the thermostat is on the ground floor, it won’t register that the upper floor has overheated. Fixing this requires a professional recalibrating the thermostat.
Ductwork troubles
The ducts may be working against you. If there is a restriction in the airflow moving from the heater to the rooms, it will end up forced to other parts of the house; in this case, to the upper floors. If you have consistently had troubles with the upper floor getting too hot, the ducts might have been improperly sized when they were first installed. Poor ventilation often is responsible for uneven heating in a house.
Broken zone controls
Does your home have a zone control system that allows you to shut off certain parts of the house to heating and cooling? That’s a great way to create even heating—but the zone controls may malfunction and end up pushing more heated air to the second floor. Call for technicians to inspect the zone controls and see if there are satellite thermostat problems or broken dampers in the ducts.
The heater won’t stop running
Pay attention to how your heating is cycling on and off. Is it running and running and running longer than it should? Is it just not shutting off? This can occur for a number of reasons, and it will overheat the upper floor quickly. Shut off the entire heating system at its circuit breaker and call professionals for heater repair in Suwanee, GA.
You can depend on our team to locate why you’ve got uneven heating. We’ll check the ductwork and inspect your HVAC system and the thermostats. We can also offer special spot-heating and cooling solutions for homes where even heating is difficult, such as adding a ductless mini split. Your comfort is our top priority.
At Snellville Heating, Air and Plumbing, your comfort is OUR business! Reach out to us when you need the best in home heating assistance.
