10 Ways to Cool Down Your Second Floor

  1. Block the sun. …
  2. Insulate and ventilate. …
  3. Repair your ductwork. …
  4. Reduce your use of lights and appliances. …
  5. Change air filters. …
  6. Adjust the fan setting on your thermostat. …
  7. Create climate zones. …
  8. Fire up the (ceiling and floor) fans.

How do I make my upper level cooler?

Simple Fixes to Help Cool Your Upstairs

  1. Properly open vents, don’t block return air supply. Let the air flow! …
  2. Install lightly colored curtains or drapes. …
  3. Keep heat-generating appliances off. …
  4. Run a fan (when you’re in the room) …
  5. Keep your HVAC fan set to ‘on’ …
  6. Inspect your ductwork. …
  7. Check your insulation.




How do you balance upstairs and downstairs temperature?

Keep the air moving by turning on the fan setting of your home’s thermostat. Turn the fan from “auto” to “on”. The fan will circulate the air continually throughout the home and can help even out temperatures between floors.

Why is my upstairs so much hotter than downstairs?

Heat rises – Blame physics: hot air rises while cold air sinks. That means your upstairs typically gets hotter than your lower levels, even if your air conditioner’s working in overdrive. Your roof’s hot, too – Unless you have shady tree cover, your roof absorbs a ton of heat from the sun.

How do you fix a hot upstairs cold downstairs?

If you are unable to maintain an even temperature in your house, consider the following interventions:

  1. Change Your Air Filter. …
  2. Repair and Insulate Your Ductwork. …
  3. Shell Out for a New Air Conditioner or Furnace. …
  4. Look Into Zone Control HVAC. …
  5. Investigate Your Attic’s Thermal Integrity. …
  6. Reduce Sources of Heat Upstairs. …
  7. Use Fans.




Why is my top floor so hot?

Blame physics: hot air rises while cold air sinks. That means your upstairs typically gets hotter than your lower levels, even if your air conditioner’s working in overdrive. Your roof’s hot, too: Unless you have shady tree cover, your roof absorbs a ton of heat from the sun.

Why is my upstairs so hot even with AC?

One of the biggest reasons the upstairs gets so hot is that the current sealing, insulation, and ventilation systems are not working correctly. On the sealing side of things, gaps in the home’s structure can go unnoticed and quickly add up, causing air conditioning to be wasted.

How do you fix temperature difference between floors?

Add a zoning system
Room zoning systems allow you to control the temperature independently from thermostats installed on each floor. These thermostats are rigged to control panels throughout your home and communicate with dampers that are installed inside your ductwork.

How do you adjust the temperature on a two story house?



The general rule of thumb for a two-story home is that you should set each thermostat two degrees Fahrenheit apart from the other. During the summer, when your AC is running, set the upper floor at the temperature you actually want in your home. Then set each floor underneath that to two degrees warmer.

Why is my upstairs so hot and downstairs cold in the winter?

Cold air is denser than warm air, so it stays on the bottom while warm air rises. That’s why the downstairs can feel so chilly while the upstairs is toasty in the winter. The temperature differential between the upstairs and downstairs in an average two-story home is between 8 to 10 degrees.

How do I even out the temperature in my house?

Here’s how to maintain an even temperature throughout your home:

  1. Clean the Air Ducts. If you have leaks in your air ducts, cool air won’t make it to every air vent, resulting in uneven cooling. …
  2. Turn On the AC Fan. …
  3. Adjust the Air Vents. …
  4. Check the Insulation. …
  5. Install a Zoned System.


Why is my floor warm in one spot upstairs?

Warm Spots on Floors Are Not Uncommon
Warm spots are often caused by a hot water line that’s close to the surface of a concrete slab. However, it can be a warning sign of a more serious underlying issue, such as a slab leak.

Will closing vents in basement help cool upstairs?

That said, closing your vents is best for saving energy but not for redirecting cool air throughout your home. Some homeowners believe that by closing the vents in their basements, cool air will automatically be redirected toward the upper levels of a house. Unfortunately, that’s not how your furnace fan works.

Should upstairs thermostat be set higher than downstairs?

The downstairs thermostat should be set to your ideal temperature, and the upstairs thermostat should be about 2 degrees cooler. The heat should be balanced pretty well with this method, and your downstairs will get a little bit extra warmth to keep you comfortable.

How do you balance the heat in a two story house in summer?



Close some, but not all, supply vents on the first floor for better circulation to the second floor. Also, make sure nothing blocks your vents upstairs, and that your air-return vents are open. Seal all cracks, holes, and gaps around windows to prevent seepage.

Why is my house hotter than the thermostat setting?

Poor air flow, bad sensors, or other broken components can also cause room temperatures to be different than your thermostat setting. The biggest clue that your furnace is the culprit is your heating bill.

How do you set a thermostat in a two story house in the winter?

Winter Thermostat Settings
You will want to take the opposite approach in the winter. Set the first floor’s thermostat to your desired temperature, and then decrease the temperature setting on your thermostats by two degrees as you go up. Warm air on the first floor will rise and make the upper floors more comfortable.

What is the recommended thermostat setting for winter?

68 degrees Fahrenheit



The ideal thermostat temperature in the winter is 68 degrees Fahrenheit when you’re at home. Energy.gov suggests that 68 degrees is a good room temperature while you’re awake at home but recommends lowering it while you’re asleep or away.

Can you have 2 thermostats on one furnace?

Yes, in principle, you can use two thermostats to control one HVAC zone. If correctly installed, set, and used you can actually save on your electricity bill. You can also connect more than one thermostat to a single HVAC unit.