Help! I live in a two storey duplex. It's cold downstairs, but upstairs it's sweltering. I've closed off the vents downstairs, but to no avail. It's still hot up here. Maintenance for the complex says it's a common problem, deal with it. Yes, it's 1000 degrees outside, but this is ridiculous. I asked them about cleaning the coils (as per a girlfriend who had it done), but they say it wouldn't be cold at all downstairs if the coils were the problem. Who/what/where are the coils located? (I may try to do it myself), also, any other suggestions? Oh, I live in Southern Cal.

Do you have any sort of attic at all? If so, you can install an attic fan that will remove some of the heat from the attic. We have ours so that it turns on when the attic hits 100 degrees -- on its own thermostat that is in the attic. You have to have two pretty big vents in the attic and you aim the fan outward at one end.

Also, you can purchase room size air conditioner units.

This heat wave will pass. They always do! But it's a bear having to live through them.

We put one of those high velocity round metal fans at the bottom of the stairs blowing up and it really makes a difference. Alot of people I know with central air and 2 floors have this problem, especially during extended heat. 2 of my neighbors have gone to the extent of adding a second central unit for the upstairs alone and going 2 zone- very expensive.

Heat rises. Unless you have a unit for down and a unit for up there's nothing you can do. The downstairs wouldn't be cool if there was a problem with the unit. Ceiling fans or a fan of any kind would help.

My two storey house is the same, I had to put two window units in upstairs so I can work in my office, and the kids can sleep. Luckily I don't have to put them in the front of the house, so they aren't visible from the street.

M

I bought HEAVY velvet curtains for our room, and have a fan that blows on us. May try that big fan blowing up the stairs too.

Also, if you keep the upstairs bedroom doors closed, that seems to keep the bedrooms cooler.

Kathie

It's been a while, but we used to live in one of those duplexes, and this was a problem for us. What we ended up doing (was very pregnant at the time and miserable) was get a fan for each of the rooms that we would run when we were in them, if you can install ceiling fans that would work, but we weren't in a position to do that.....I made thick curtains, with in lining that was a bit like foil, it would reflect the heat back outside, so it didn't heat up as much.....We kept the doors to all the rooms closed, and we had big fan at the bottom of the stairs blowing up.....(might want to be careful if you have small kids) If window unit is an option for you, then that might bring you some relief......

They have some really cool fans now days that don't look like fans....some look like air purifiers or big vases and decorations....

Hope you find some relief soon.....

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