Cape Cods + Upstairs in Summer

[Anonymous]

We have a 1950s Cape Cod that has 2 bedrooms upstairs. There is no separate thermostat or return up there, and it is always 10-20 degrees warmer than downstairs. Has anyone in a similar situation had luck with some fairly inexpensive changes to keep their upstairs cool? We used to put a window a/c in, but the one window that works for that is now in the baby's room, so it is no longer an option.

Would a newer attic fan make a difference? Register boosters? Any other suggestions? It is oppressive in the summer, but I don't want to invest a lot of money in it because we are looking to either teardown or expand in a few years and so would tackle new thermostats/returns then.

TIA!

[Anonymous]

The second floor of our Cape is essentially one big room (our bedroom) and we have two window A/C units to keep it cool. Could you get one of those portable a/c units if you can put one in the window? I feel your pain - our room gets so hot and we have already had the a/c on several times this spring to keep it cool.

[Anonymous]

An attic fan would probably help a lot, but it's not the cheapest solution. I think a free-standing portable AC is your best bet. Also close all of the downstairs vents for the central air and open the upstairs ones.

[Anonymous]

I'd get another window AC unit. They're pretty cheap and have worked for us. In summer we keep it on a timer so it goes on an hour or so before we plan to go upstairs. That gives it enough time to get to a comfortable temperature without having to run it all day or remember to go up and turn it on.

[Anonymous]

this isn't just a Cape thing (we have it in our colonial too). Cold air flows down naturally (like hot air rises), and since your AC is probably downstairs it has to do double duty to get push the air upstairs (against the tide, so to speak). A few things that helped us: definitely an attic fan or better a window AC in the attic (you can get a cheap one for about $200 at home depot, and if you tear down there is always someone looking to buy a used AC!). Also agree with PP to tape up or close downstairs vents, esp. in basement where it's probably plenty cool naturally - this will force more air up (less leakage). If you have an A/C service company you may also want to ask them if your ducts are leaking. Ours took about 3 rolls of duct tape to our visible ducts (in the boiler room) and it made a big difference.

[Anonymous]

I don't think it's just a Cape problem. I feel like any multi-level house can have big temperature differentials between floors unless you have multiple heat pumps. it's about the only reason I'd consider a rambler-style house. (not fond of them otherwise.) My 3-level townhouse is always chilly in the basement (mostly below-grade), too warm in the upstairs and whatever temp I set the thermostat for in the main level.

[Anonymous]

Not a cape cod problem, it's a physics problem, but a 10-20 degree swing seems extreme.

[Anonymous]

This is our first house with dual-zone AC (the only house I have ever lived in that had dual-zone, btw. And--this is the first house I've lived in in my 41 years that doesn't have the 'hotter' upstairs problem.

I agree that it isn't just a cape cod problem. Our rowhouse was the same way...as well as the various colonials I have lived in.

We always cured it by the window AC unit. In our rowhouse we didn't want one in the baby's room so we directed a big fan from our room across the hall into the baby's room ....it helped to blow our ac unit cool air across the hall...We also had ceiling fans in each room which also helped circulate.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This is our first house with dual-zone AC (the only house I have ever lived in that had dual-zone, btw. And--this is the first house I've lived in in my 41 years that doesn't have the 'hotter' upstairs problem.

I agree that it isn't just a cape cod problem. Our rowhouse was the same way...as well as the various colonials I have lived in.

We always cured it by the window AC unit. In our rowhouse we didn't want one in the baby's room so we directed a big fan from our room across the hall into the baby's room ....it helped to blow our ac unit cool air across the hall...We also had ceiling fans in each room which also helped circulate.

btw...I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE our dual zone climate control. My office is in finished 4th floor attic and it even stays a perfect temp all the way up here on a 90+ hot and humid dc day.

[Anonymous]

I'm surprised no one has mentioned insulation yet. Getting high "R-grade" insulation (we have R-49) should help keep temperatures moderate (in the winter and summer). Also, make sure that you have drapes to block of the sun during the day, and good windows.

[Anonymous]

My bedroom growing up was in the upstairs of a cape cod. I had a window fan in my room - it made the room cooler but not cold in the way that an air conditioner would. We just had to remember to keep the window behind the fan open when the fan was on. The fan was mounted to the window in some way (it was designed to be used in this way). We bought ours at Sears 30 years ago but I've picked up similar items at Target in the last few years.

Plus - the fan will provide white noise to cover the sounds that come in from the open window. So maybe a win-win for a baby's room.

[Anonymous]

We used those insertable window fans in our attic windows - on on each end. It helped lower the temp by about 10 degrees. Then 2 years ago we added the second zone of heat/ac. now we can actually sleep upstairs.

[Anonymous]

When I was a child, we solved this by sleeping in the basement when it was abominably hot. That doesn't work so well for your baby, perhaps, unless you can all move down there. In my current house, we haven't solved it - DH doesn't want to sleep in the basement, so we have multiple fans going in our room, plus the house AC. It's not cold, but it is bearable, if we wear very light sleep clothing and have only a sheet for covering (and sometimes take a cold shower before bed to lower body temp). We are hoping that our new windows will make a difference this summer.