What is the best option for cooling a house upstairs? We are considering purchasing a home that has a second story. It has a 2 year old central air unit, and the upstairs is HOT!

There are two bedrooms and a bathroom upstairs, and we're not sure of the upstairs square footage.

We'd like something more stylish than a window unit. We've heard about mini-splits.....some not so good things about those. We've seen portable air conditioners.

What is the best for getting the job done and best for my power bill.....and what would be the best in intense summer heat?

Thank you in advance!

 

A dual mini split with two wall units and one outdoor condenser would be ideal.
Call a few HVAC dealers and get a free estimate.

You could have them look into why the central air is not performing upstairs.

Portable A/Cs would be my last choice. If you do look in that direction only choose a two duct unit. A two duct unit draws air in from outside to cool the unit and that hot air is discharged outside. The two ducts would need to be mounted in a plate in the window. A single duct unit discahrges the hot air outside but uses cooled air to do it.

 

Please add your location to your profile, just a state can be a big help when asking questions.
Main one being are you also going to need heat up stairs in the winter.
As PJmax mentioned I'd want a HVAC company to look this over before doing anything.
We have no idea from here if there was ducts ran to the second story, if the vents are just closed, if there was a return line ran from the second floor, how much insulation is in the attic, how the roof is vented, how old the windows are, how many tons your unit is.
Any of which can cause the over heating up stairs.
By far if there are no ducts ran to the up stairs a mini split is the most cost effective way to add both heat and A/C.
Cheaper to install, and far cheaper to run.
Depending on brand they can be up to 21 seer.

 

Ahhh PJ, you've enlightened me. We are ignorant of these matters.

My husband sent me a link to this unit:

Honeywell 9000 Btu Portable Air Conditioner, Dehumidifier & Fan for Rooms Up to 300-400 Sq. Ft with Remote Control, HL09CESWK, White & Black

He thought you just plug it in and you're done. 😂😂😂
We didn't realize that it had to be vented out a window.

Although unattractive, how well do window units perform? Are those as simple as putting them in the window, plugging them in and we're ready to go?

Does there need to be a special plug? Are there electrical concerns to consider?

We talked to a heating and air guy we trust implicitly, and he said that 2 story homes need 2 units. He said that if we try to add a unit to what's there, the large unit will be too big for the downstairs alone, and it will result in hefty power bills.

It seems like there aren't great, inexpensive choices at this point for this particular home.

 

A window unit will be louder, cost more to run, block the window view, need to be removed and stored or covered from the outside in the winter, would need two or three people to install, one outside on a ladder to keep it from falling out and someone to pick it up and place it in the window opening.
If there's more then one room up there it's likely not going to cool the other rooms much.
I'd also have some issues with the wiring if this is an older house.
It's best to have it on it's own circuit.

 

Also, window AC units needs electricity and can draw a large percentage of the bedrooms circuit. If you don't add a circuit specifically for a window or portable AC you'll be left with a lot less electrical capacity on that circuit. It might not be an issue but it all depends on how the circuits are run in the house you are considering and what you intend to power. Obviously the best route is to find out why the house with central AC is hot upstairs instead of relying on a Band-Aid like a window AC.

 

Hi, you are considering purchasing this home, I might suggest you question the seller as to wether or not there is duct work to the second floor, is there central AC on the first floor, stand alone units tend to be noisy, especially in sleeping areas.
Geo