If you have a home that is two or more levels, you’ve probably noticed that your upper level stays warm while your lower level(s) remain chilly. Warm air is less dense, so it rises to the top of your house, and the heavier cold air sinks to the bottom. This issue will be more pronounced if you have one HVAC system for your entire home.
Precision Heating & Air has put together a list of tricks to help you stay toasty this winter no matter where you are in your house:
Zoned System
If you currently have one unit heating your multi-level home, and you’re looking for a long-term fix, consider installing a zoned system. This means that you’ll have one unit for each level of your home so you can control the temperature on each floor individually.
This also helps cut down on energy costs if you’re sleeping and living on different floors. You’ll be able to lower temperatures on floors you’re not using, thus lowering your energy use.
Use Your Fan
If installing a zoned HVAC system is too much of a financial commitment, using fans in your home can help you circulate the warm air that has collected in your upper levels. Turn your heater’s fan to “ON” so even if it’s not actively pushing out hot air, it will be moving air through the ducts more evenly distributing heat.
Using ceiling fans is also a good idea. Many, if not all, fans have a switch on them to switch the direction in which the blades turn. Flipping this switch allows you to pull air upwards and circulate it throughout your home, removing pockets of hot air.
Insulate
Insulation is important no matter what type of climate you live in; it is also an essential step in keeping your ground floor warm. Make sure you’re using weather stripping, double-pane windows, and caulk. Do this to all levels of your home to keep cold air from coming in on lower levels and warm air from escaping on upper levels.
Any openings you have upstairs for warm air to escape create a vacuum, pulling in more cold air downstairs.
Alternative Heating
Adding a secondary heat source on your ground floor can help balance out the temperatures in your home. Space heaters are a good solution if you spend most of your time in just one or two rooms (i.e. a home office or a kitchen).
Baseboard heaters are long heaters that install along the floor and can be turned off and on whenever. These work well for heating floors you might not use as much, like basements.
Landscaping
Landscaping is a form of external insulation for the home. Planting coniferous trees near walls, but away from windows, can help your home retain heat, especially on the ground floor. Trees and tall shrubs can act as wind barriers to reduce the speed at which your house cools down.
Have Your System Professionally Evaluated
If you’re still cold in your home, it could be a sign that there’s something wrong with your heating system. Whether you’ve got an old unit or a duct or airflow issue, Precision Heating & Air can help. Give us a call at (770) 758-4552 or fill out our online form to schedule your service call.
