Why Isn’t My Whole Home the Same Temperature?
Keeping your whole house cool and comfortable can be a frustrating experience for many homeowners. If your air conditioner isn’t working well or the temperature throughout your home is uneven, it can drive you mad. Rest assured, there are solutions.
Below we’ll discuss a few reasons why some parts of your home may be too hot while others are too cold, and what you can do about it so you can achieve cool comfort throughout your entire house.
Reasons for Temperature Imbalance in Your Home
One of the first things to check if your home is not cooling evenly is your air filter. If it’s been more than a month or two since you’ve last changed it, try doing that first. Dirty air filters restrict airflow, which never helps when you’re trying to cool an entire house.
You’ll also want to check the vents and windows in each room. You want the vents open to allow cool air in and the windows closed to prevent cold air from escaping. Sometimes the issue might also be a result of leaky or kinked air supply ducts or an inadequate amount of return vents for the size of your home. Return vents take the warm air out of the room and may not be able to grab the warm air from all the rooms if it’s a larger house. To compensate, you can try leaving the doors open to help with return airflow.
Hot Air Rising
Another common cause for uneven temperatures in multi-level houses is due to the fact that warm air rises. If have one unit and your thermostat is on the main floor, your AC system will operate until it achieves that floor’s temperature – not the temperature upstairs, which can often be a few degrees warmer.
A solution for multi-level homes with one unit is to consider installing a zoned AC system so you can control different parts of the home individually. You can also try to manually zone your home by closing some vents to restrict and redirect airflow. If your home has dampers, you can try adjusting them seasonally to help balance out the airflow in your home.
Easier Fixes to Correct Temperature Imbalance in Your Home
The first step is to check the air temperature coming out of your vents (you can use a meat thermometer placed right next to the vent to see). If it’s coming out at different temperatures throughout the house, you should definitely call an expert HVAC maintenance company to come take a look – there’s a good chance there is a ductwork problem (or something mechanically wrong you’re your system) that needs an experienced HVAC technician to diagnose.
But if the air is coming out at a consistent temperature, an easy fix may just be to replace the vents. In the early 2000’s, it was popular to install multi-directional vents thinking that would help spread the cool air. Spoiler alert – it doesn’t. Air flows in a similar fashion to water so splitting it apart just means it won’t make it all the way across the room. One of the common solutions is to install vents that point in one direction, then have them pointed up to the ceiling. The cool air rolls off the ceiling all the way across the room, making it a more consistent temperature.
But if you’re still having issues with uneven temperatures in your home, just give us a call at Mario’s Air Conditioning & Heating. You can reach us at 727-843-9598. We help homes and businesses throughout the Tampa area with all of their cooling and heating needs.
