Have you started to notice a certain room in your home is far warmer than the rest of the house? Temperature inconsistency and fluctuation in an upstairs bedroom or particular rooms in your home is a common occurrence in homes that can leave one room feeling much hotter than the others.
There are many factors that contribute to feeling stuffy in one room so hot compared to others, but there are also easy ways to fix the problem with no money involved. First, you will need to figure out what is causing your room to feel hot compared to the rest of house. Here is a list of reasons why one room feels this way:
What Causes a Room to be Hotter Than The Rest of The House?
1) Restricted Airflow
There may be too much furniture blocking airflow from vents or airflow through a window such as having large furniture or an entertainment center with lots of electronics block off airflow from getting into one window.
Fix:
Move all smaller items by a window so there is less area for the stuff blocking airflow. Move bigger items such as a television or couch that is not taking up too much room by another window, facing it if possible so that it will block less of the airflow.
2) Oversized Furnace System
An AC system that’s too large (oversized) will shut off too quickly, leaving some rooms too warm or cold. A system that’s too small (undersized) may never actually be able to cool the entire house properly.
Fix:
If your HVAC system is too large, consider using fans to move heated air from the rooms that are currently warmer to the ones that are colder. If your heater is insufficient, you may require a supplementary device (or a newer, bigger heating unit if your present system is ready to be replaced).
3) Hot Spots
There may be natural hot spots in your house like near an outside window because the sunlight through onto certain areas of your house during different times of day can make those rooms hotter than others in your house.
Fix:
Find a way to block the sun, like buying blinds for outside windows, or buy curtains that can help darken the room so it does not get too hot during hot times of the day. Even if you cannot block all of the sun because there are many other reasons this could be happening than just the sun, blocking off one window should reduce how stuffy and hot that room feels.
4) No Ventilation
The room may have zero ventilation because there is no airflow created by an open window or purposely placed fans.
Fix:
Check to see if there are any open windows that can provide proper airflow throughout the room, including street airflow if possible. If there are no open windows available, then strategically place fans around the room to properly circulate air and provide a nice breeze.
5) Closed Air Vents
There may be air vents around the house that you have closed. This will cause more warm air to be delivered to certain rooms through your home's ductwork where the vents remain open.
Fix:
Check all vents throughout the home and make sure they are all set open. Closing vents can lead to an imbalance in your air duct system and potentially cause leaks in your air ducts. Also check that if your HVAC system uses dampers that they are positioned to deliver air to the desired areas of your home.
6) Electronics and Appliances
Computers, particularly those with high-end graphics cards, produce a lot of heat. In addition, television sets, lights and lamps, LED clocks, and other electronics generate heat. You may have too many devices in one room running at the same time.
Fix:
One option is to switch off these devices when they are not in use. If you haven't already, replace your lamp and other lighting with LED bulbs.
7) Good Insulation
The insulation of your home might work against you in this instance. If you live in a newer home, or recently had your attic insulation replaced or worked on, this can cause certain rooms just to keep its temperature more in winter.
Fix:
If the outside temperature drops to a pleasant level, open doors and windows to allow hot air out while drawing cool air in with fans if necessary. You will have increased heat flow to the exterior and cooled air circulation inside.
8) Clogged Air Filter
The blower fan in your HVAC pushes air through the filter. If the filter becomes too clogged with dust, dander, and debris, then the blower has to strain harder to pass the air through a clogged filter. With reduced airflow, you can experience hot and cold spots in your home, and it can be difficult to reach your desired indoor temperature levels.
Fix:
The solution is to change your air filter on a regular basis. While it is suggested that homeowners change their air filters once per month, there are numerous elements that can influence the timing of this basic maintenance operation, such as how many people live in the home, pets, indoor smoking, and so on.
Related Post: Where is My Furnace Filter Located?
Do Ceiling Fans Help Keep Rooms Cool?
Ceiling fans can help circulate air in a room and make you feel cooler by doing so, but they don't always lower the temperature of an entire room like an air conditioner. In order for a fan to work correctly and keep an individual from feeling stuffy while also being able to sleep comfortably during warm nights, there needs to be a balance between heat output and heat intake.
Heat output is generated by sources such as the sun shining in through windows, lights throughout your home, appliances, and...you! If you're reading this article at night when it's dark outside...it means the heat output is at its lowest because that's when the sun goes down.
Heat intake during these nights comes from things like wind blowing into windows or cracks beneath doors (wind speeds increase significantly at night), warm air passing by your skin (air temperatures are typically higher nearer to the ground), and hot objects within rooms like lights, electronics, appliances (some household appliances produce heat even while turned off!), and of course people.
While a ceiling fan will allow you to circulate air in a room and help lower the temperature of stuffy rooms because they increase airflow, however it's important that the right balance is struck between heat output and heat intake.
Schedule an HVAC Inspection by Our Comfort Specialists
ARS/Rescue Rooter can assist you if your heating and air conditioning system isn't operating properly, resulting in one room being hotter than the other. We can perform a comprehensive examination of your house's HVAC system to figure out what's causing one area to be too hot.
Find your nearest location or give us a call to schedule a professional HVAC evaluation appointment.
