Anonymous wrote:We use the ecobeee thermostat with remote sensor that follows you and sets the temp where you are

My guess is OP's AC cannot bring the temp down so it will run all day...

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How about a minisplit for upstairs? We had one put in for $3000

Can someone explain what a minisplit is? I'm intrigued.

http://energy.gov/energysaver/ductless-mini-split-air-conditioners

check this out.

you can google "mini split air conditioning" for set-ups/costs

We use the ecobeee thermostat with remote sensor that follows you and sets the temp where you are

Attic fan will lower upstairs temp by at least 10 degrees....

Anonymous wrote:How about a minisplit for upstairs? We had one put in for $3000

Can someone explain what a minisplit is? I'm intrigued.

OP - do you have an attic fan? That has helped us tremendously. Ours turns on automatically depending on the temperature in the attic.

Anonymous wrote:The REASON the room is hot is because the roof is not adequately insulated.

Insulate the roof and you'll have a cooler room and not need to spend a ton on electricity getting it cooler all the time.

We have a bungalow with the master in the attic, which we refinished to add spray foam insulation before we moved in. We STILL have the problem that in order to cool the upstairs to 76 degrees, the downstairs gets way too cold. I honestly don't know how they survived in that attic bedroom with the old paper insulation that was in there (and largely decayed).

We have thought about a mini split, but haven't pursued it yet. For now we keep arguing over the A/C setting all summer (I hate the heat, DH hates the cold)...

Get a fan. We bought really nice low-profile Casablanca ones for all the bedrooms (which are on the upper level and get hot in the summer), and they are amazing. They seriously cool down the room. The cost of the fans and installation was probably less than $500/fan.

Fwiw OP we have a(n expensive) split system and our 3rd story still gets hot in the summer. I sleep naked and use a fan.

We had the same problem and did a few things over the years that made a difference. We got attic fans installed, new windows, a ceiling fan, portable ACs, but the most effective by far was to get an energy audit and get extra insulation blown in the attic. DH got more insulation than was standard, and our house is extremely comfortable in every room and every season.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The REASON the room is hot is because the roof is not adequately insulated.

Insulate the roof and you'll have a cooler room and not need to spend a ton on electricity getting it cooler all the time.

We were told NOT to insulate the roof, but to add insulation to the attic floor (which we did). Insulating the roof traps the hot air. The reason the upstairs is hotter is because heat rises.

That's what I meant.

Get ceiling fans installed
Keep blinds/shades closed during the day

A ceiling fan would be my first choice.

If that doesn't work then I'd try a ductless wall unit that you could mount over the doorway e.g.,:
http://www.amazon.com/Amvent-Ductless-Conditioner-Conditioning-Cooling/dp/B0081HMXHC

Kids wouldn't be able to reach.

You'd have to shop around for a reliable make and model and something in your price range.

We noticed a similar problem as the OP after we bought our house. The master bedroom was unbearably hot in the summer... no matter how low we set the thermostat. It was only cool when the AC was blowing. I think it is partly due to the shape of the room which is a long rectangle and did not have the air flow. It was also because the attic did not have enough insulation. So we added some insulation- up to R49 level-probably over kill for this area but it only cost $300 more. Also installed a large large ceiling fan in the room. It is so much cooler now. But it still gets stuffy and we leave the ceiling fan on low setting over night. It works for us and it is cheaper than getting a new AC.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here, thanks everyone. Unfortuantely we don't have ceiling fans, though I can see why they'd be helpful. I think another issue is that the vents are in the floor, so I have a feeling the cool air is not getting up into the room very far. The house was renovated prior to us moving in, so we don't have a lot of history regarding how or why they did certain things.

NP here.

OP, I had ceiling fans installed for like $200/fan (including the fans, I bought them on sale at Home Depot).

I'd also look into mini splits, which are a great alternative. Ultimately, though, the cheapest and best for the environment would be to rebalance your vents and to install ceiling fans. It was 79 in our house last night (thanks, summer-like weather and tons of pollen so we couldn't open windows!), and the ceiling fan made me so cool I had to cover up with my blanket.

NP here, with similar problem as OP's. What do you mean by rebalance your vents?