Is your house to hot?

    Customer: I have a story and a half home that the upper level is always hot in the summer. What's wrong?

      The most common answer to this question revolves around homes that are multilevel in which the upper level is hot, the home has a single air conditioning unit and/or the home is not zoned.

      The thermostat is usually placed on the main level of the home. When the thermostat calls for cooling the air conditioner runs and satisfies the main level, but doesn't run long enough to satisfy the upper level. This causes the upstairs to remain warmer than the rest of the home. The fact is heat rises and unless you have a properly zoned home, with ductwork designed to handle the cooling requirements for the home it is unlikely that you will ever have the comfort you desire on the upper floor.

      Customer: I have a single story (ranch style) home with a basement. In the summer some of my rooms are hot. What's wrong?

      If you have a home that is not multilevel and certain rooms are hot, you could have a duct problem. This means that you are not getting enough air to those rooms. Some things you might want to check to see if your furnace is located at either end of the home. If so, then the rooms at the opposite end may not be getting enough air at the end of the main trunk line, causing those rooms to remain hot in the summer.

      If your furnace is centrally located and certain rooms in the home are not as comfortable as you would like them to be, those rooms may not be getting enough air causing them to feel uncomfortable. If this is the case you might also have a duct problem.

       Customer: my basement is unfinished and the ductwork is exposed in the basement. Should my ductwork be insulated?

      Yes, if you have exposed ductwork in an unconditioned space, it is important to keep the air temperature in the ductwork. This could be the cause of some rooms being uncomfortable in your home.

Glossary of Terms

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Nick Rackers  2521 E. McCarty  Jefferson City, MO 65101  573-636-4490