A/C - runs for a long time, doesn't cool upstairs?

Question

I have just bought this house, so this A/C is completely new to me. I also don't know anything about heating/cooling so bare with me.

-The furnace has a humidifer attached to it. Do I need the humidifer on during the summer? and what do I have it set at? - it looks like there is high/low/med options.

-The A/C does not cool the rooms upstairs, they can range from 27-28degrees, when it is 24 degrees downstairs, how can I fix this?

-When the A/C comes on, it stays on for over 40 minutes before it shuts off. It also comes on everyhour. Why is it doing this?

-I also had problems in the winter with it. It would come on every 5 minutes. I changed the thermostat and it helped a little bit, but I had to have it set at 22 degrees for it to not come on

that much.

-Also where would be a good spot to put the thermostat? Right now it is in the livingroom, but I would like to know if I can move it upstairs.

Please help.

Answer 1

make sure all the vents are open upstairs, and then make sure the valves or whatever they are on the vents attached to the furnace are turned the correct way so the cold air flows thru the whole house.

Answer 2

Turn the humidifier off in the summer.  It adds moisture to the air.  Unless you live in a dry desert, you don't want that.  Turn it on in the winter, unless you live in a climate that's already humid.  In cold dry weather, you will appreciate having some moisture in the air.

In the house - to cool the upstairs more, close the vents in the basement, if you have one.  If you don't have a basement, close some of the vents on the 1st floor.  This will force the system to push more cold air upstairs.  Gravity will pull the cold air downstairs.

The thermostat should be where you spend most of your time during the day, but away from sources of heat or cold.  This is usually the first floor, but generally not in the kitchen.

The AC and heat will come on depending on the setting on the thermostat.   In the winter, it will heat the house if the temp. falls below the setting - in the summer, it will cool if the temp. inside goes above the setting.

If you just got the house, I would recommend you call a heating/cooling contractor to inspect the system, and tune or adjust it if necessary.  You can ask them to explain how to operate it if necessary.

Answer 3

First you should check all your upstairs vents to ensure they are open along with checking the return vents too. Often times return vents get covered with furniture which will significantly reduce cooling ability. The previous owners may have had the upstairs vents closed during the winter as hot air rises which tends to automatically heat the up stairs. Check those things first, a properly working return vents should be able to hold a light piece of paper to the vent when you let it go against the vent and a properly working supply  vent should blow the same piece of paper as well.

The thermostat should be in the room or area that is most used and a location that is some what central to the rest of the house. It would be ill advised to put the thermostat up stairs unless that is where you spend the vast majority of your time. One trick is to partially close the vents in the room where the thermostat is which will allow less air in to that room thus taking it longer to cool the room down to the shut off point which gives the other rooms more time and air to cool down as well.

You should also check for sources of heat such as leaky window and poor insulation in the Attic which could be causing some of the problems.

Good luck

Answer 4

It might need cleaning.  I would probably consider getting an A/C repair service.  They should be able to clean it, service it and show you how it works properly.

Answer 5

Something important to remember when heating and cooling is:

Hot air rises.  Cool air sinks.

I have a neighbor who was using a window a/c unit, and she realized she had to locate it on the second floor to cool both floors.  This is because cool air sinks.  It sounds like you have central air, but the air still needs to be channelled above in order to cool both floors... again because cool air sinks.

Something extremely helpful in both heating and cooling your home, and for significant energy savings, is to install "reversible" ceiling fans.  In the hot months you set them to high rotation and they act like an ordinary fan.  They work wonderfully together with A/C so that you don't need as much of the A/C.  In the winter if they are "reversible," you change the speed of the fan to gently push the warm air down from the ceiling where it normally collects... remember: hot air rises.  Since you don't sit on the ceiling, this lets you enjoy the warm air better and again saves you fuel.

You may be able to install the ceiling fans yourself... they aren't difficult.  Go to a do it yourself type hardware store and ask for instruction.

As for the a/c unit coming on in the winter and it not cooling the upstairs, i think you probably want to call a trained a/c service person to take a look at it and tell them specifically your thermostat issue and the problem with the cooling not reaching the upstairs.  

good luck!

p.s. ... i'm putting some links to ceiling fans and energy savings below.

Answer 6

The placement of the thermostat can affect your comfort.  For instance, your TV produces a lot of heat.  If your thermostat is near it, it will not be reading the accurate room temp. Heat rises, so it is always going to be warmer upstairs. We had an air return placed upstairs so the AC unit is cooling the warmest air. Hope this helps!