So we are currently living in a townhouse, 2 stories, that is quite old. We turn the AC on and have all the vents closed down stairs and all of the upstairs vents opened but it is still hotter than hell upstairs and like the fucking arctic downstairs. Anybody know of a good solution to this, or experienced this before?

6/27/2007 12:29:46 AM

pm 69

6/27/2007 12:30:43 AM

Make sure your air filters are clean and then make sure enough air is blowing out of all the vents. It sounds like the air just isn't circulating like it should. The upstairs is always going to be warmer - warm air rises after all - but it shouldn't be too bad.

Assuming that the above suggestions check out, run the fan without running the AC (set the fan to on but don't leave it that way 24/7). That way you'll still be circulating air and equaling out the temperature between the two floors.

I don't advise shutting off all the vents downstairs. Your AC unit requires a certian amount of airflow over the evaporator coil for proper heat exchange. If there isn't a proper amount of heat exchange, you risk damaging your AC unit by causing liquid refridgerant to back up into the compressor which will damage the valves inside it (read: repair costs = $texas)

6/27/2007 12:38:51 AM

i had friends with this problem.

there should be a valve attached to the ducts running to each floor and rooms.

adjust them or look for blockages and leaks.

might have to tear up some drywall if it's a shitty build.

[Edited on June 27, 2007 at 12:47 AM. Reason : check attic or utility room crawlspace?]

6/27/2007 12:41:03 AM

^ I highly doubt it unless it has a zone kit on the system.

6/27/2007 12:42:54 AM

sounds like my townhouse. check your utility room out back, there should be 2 ducts running into the house, each with a small dial in the center of the bottom. look closely for open and closed. it took a bunch of fucking with mine before i got it how i like it for summer.

[Edited on June 27, 2007 at 12:43 AM. Reason : one = upstairs, one = downstairs, i forget which offhand]

6/27/2007 12:43:32 AM

seotaji totally edited to my answer. hahaha

im almost sure thats your problem, especially if you live in older townhouses. i just fixed this in my place 2 days ago.

[Edited on June 27, 2007 at 12:47 AM. Reason : do you know where i live seotaji? can you guess based off this info alone? ]

6/27/2007 12:47:09 AM

We are renting this townhouse, so it isn't really "my problem", but it gets REALLY BAD. We have the air running non stop at night but upstairs will be in the high 70s-low 80s. It is really frustrating when you wake up because it is so fucking hot you are sweating, but the AC is on. The air feels to be flowing in all the vents upstairs, but it is MUCH stronger downstairs.

6/27/2007 12:48:48 AM

And i believe when we moved in the maintenance guy said there was only one unit for the whole house

6/27/2007 12:50:25 AM

my setup is, walk out the back door, and theres a patio with a utility room with w/d hookups inside. i call this my laundry room. if you have a similar (with water heater/furnace/ac/etc in it) then look for where the huge vents run into the house at the 7.5 foot mark or so. on the shared wall with your living room

similar?

6/27/2007 12:51:33 AM

mine is also one unit/one thermostat. i thought it would NEVER work, but it took me and 2 friends fucking with it before we got the correct flow

one outside, one at the thermostat and downstairs vents, and one upstairs

6/27/2007 12:52:49 AM

im a nice guy, let me go take a picture.

6/27/2007 12:53:46 AM

that's right bitch. i wrote

Quote :

"check attic or utility room crawlspace?"

Quote :

"do you know where i live seotaji? can you guess based off this info alone?"

nah, i gots no idea. we should hang out though.

6/27/2007 12:55:09 AM

to a certain extent, we have a room downstairs that has the water heater, and the part of the AC unit where you change filters. Then we have what I guess you could call a back patio and next to it is the main AC unit. Upstairs is a closet with our W/D hookups, so i know the dryer causes some heat, but we don't even use it except maybe for a few loads once a week, so that is not what is causing the increase in temperature.

6/27/2007 12:56:28 AM

uploading now, not the best quality. not nice enough to pull out the big gun, and i stubbed my fucking toe

6/27/2007 1:00:41 AM

well it is greatly appreciated

6/27/2007 1:03:44 AM

door going into the room



furnace and shit

6/27/2007 1:04:33 AM

this was all so much easier in my old house with the blower unit in the attic.

6/27/2007 1:04:56 AM

upstairs/downstairs ducts going in with dials



close up of the dial/valve whatever

6/27/2007 1:05:42 AM

Yeah, we have something similar to that in the room i was describing with the water heater. That unit is inside, and we replace the filters on it as well. What did you mess with to make it flow better?

6/27/2007 1:06:30 AM

turn the dials son.

6/27/2007 1:07:09 AM

the ducts going into the house are directly behind you when standing where i was to take pic #2

also seotaji, i live in the same complex i lived in for about 3 months a few years ago

6/27/2007 1:07:26 AM

ah

6/27/2007 1:07:55 AM

actually i was the guy inside, so i guess they just opened them both wide open

during the winter i had the upstairs off i think. i forget exactly, like i said... turn your thermostat/ac fan thing to "ON" instead of "auto" and fuck with it. those dials turn about 25% of the whole circle, from "open" to "closed" and i THINK left is upstairs....

but its a lot easier with a couple friends and the guess and test method, unless someone can look at those pics and tell you something for sure. i just wing it over here. obviously. haha

[Edited on June 27, 2007 at 1:10 AM. Reason : ^except i bought a unit on my old row. same phone #]

6/27/2007 1:10:01 AM

i got no dials

6/27/2007 1:11:16 AM

i wrote on mine with a sharpie and had "top" "bottom" and arrows for more and less flow.

i shut one off and tested the other one for flow and vice versa.

very quick/

[Edited on June 27, 2007 at 1:12 AM. Reason : the vent controls could be higher up, do you have an attic?]

6/27/2007 1:12:06 AM

that sucks. i was under the impression that this place was like almost 40 years old, one of the first townhouse neighborhoods in greensboro. really kept up, but the heating and air stuff is crazy (like the 150 dollar bill for a squirrel chewing thru the filter and dying in that furnace after he ate the wires)

if my old ass stuff has dials, yours may have a digital thing somewhere. hahaha

that utility room there in the pic has my hot water, furnace, FUSEBOX (no breakers) etc etc. the actual heat pump is new and outside, so MAYBE the ductwork is new too. no idea, just tryin to help a brother out

6/27/2007 1:14:33 AM

psykorage: talk to the landlord and have them fix it. cause it ain't right.

[Edited on June 27, 2007 at 1:16 AM. Reason : e]

6/27/2007 1:16:34 AM

or just buy it and start ripping insulation out and hitting shit with hammers

6/27/2007 1:18:20 AM

that's what i did for my friends. i tore out drywall where i thought it was and luckily found it the first time and patched it up after screwing around with it.

the repair cost less than $20 with tax. found a remnant of drywall and put that shit in.

6/27/2007 1:27:40 AM

you can see in my pics where i ripped my shit apart this winter. i never wrapped it back because of the burned looking area (plus i have actually been a busy busy bee). i actually JUST installed locks and lights out there this past week or 2, and plan on making more sense out of all that shit as time goes on. but its really a bitch on crutches man. really a bitch. i bet i stay in a cast forever just cause i constantly walk on my busted ankle

6/27/2007 1:30:41 AM