The Weight of Air

by Tom Olecki, Owner, Broadview Heating

Ever wonder why your basement is cooler than your main floor or why the second floor of your two story home is always warmer than your main floor? Even when your air conditioner is running properly, I’m sure you’ve noticed rooms get warmer the higher you go in your home. Many customers blame their air conditioner’s capacity, thinking it must be too small. Some of our customers request more ductwork to the second floor or blame ductwork leaks as the reason for this temperature difference.

While the above reasons might be the case, more likely the cause of uneven temperatures is just science.

The fact is 60-degree air is 4% heavier than 80-degree air. So when cool air blows out of your registers, it naturally falls to the floor.  It will continue to fall all the way to the basement. Likewise as the sun heats your home, the air temperature inside increases and begins to rise.

So this explains the temperature differences, but what can you do about it? Here are four easy things you can try.

If you have a two-story home, shut the upstairs bedroom doors. This prevents cold air from falling out of the rooms down to the first floor, which in turn satisfies the thermostat and shuts off the cooling. The same goes for the basement door.

Keep registers clear of furniture. Remember, we want to blow the air high in the room because it’s heavier. Some registers in older homes are designed to blow down. They are great heating registers, but not so good for cooling. In this case, replace them with adjustable louver registers or add deflectors. These deflectors are secured with a built in magnet and can be removed easily for the heating season.

Make sure basement registers are closed in the summer.  A great way to shut them tightly is to use a magnetic sheet. These are readily available and can easily be cut to size.

Try running your blower continuously. Just move the fan switch on your thermostat from the auto position to the on position. This will keep the air mixed up between cooling cycles and will help prevent stratification. This step will cost you about $20.00 extra per month in electricity but the extra comfort may be of value to you. 

Again, these steps are inexpensive and are sure to help your comfort. Give them a try!

Tom Olecki, Owner, Broadview Heating

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Questions are always welcome. For free help with your heating/cooling system, ask the experts at broadviewheating@sbcglobal.net or call 440-526-7310.

Opinions and claims expressed above are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of ScripType Publishing.