Ask the Remodeler: The AC isn’t cooling the upstairs bedrooms. Why?
Reno pro Mark Philben also offers tips on what to do about a leaky cinder-block foundation. Get more home improvement advice at realestate.boston.com.
Q. We have gas forced-hot air heat and central air in our two-story home. Two upstairs bedrooms are not cool and comfortable even though each bedroom has one vent. We had insulation installed in the walls in October 2020. The lead installer suggested we add “in-line fans’’ to our basement ductwork. He said the cooling would improve. We have had no problem with the heat going to these bedrooms. The company that services our heating and cooling system is not familiar with in-line fans. Please let me know what to do to solve our problem.
S.L.S.
A. Forced-hot air systems are very difficult to diagnose without seeing the system. In the past, the most common problem has been a lack of returns, particularly on the upper floors. The returns are important as they draw air back into the system, ensuring a steady flow of air. The returns are as important as the supplies, something installers often overlook. I would recommend either a larger return in the hallway or even better, a return in each bedroom. That would be ideal. Another thought: It sounds as if your air handler is in the basement, or at least not in the attic space. Hot air wants to rise and is easy to push up. Cold air is heavy and is much harder to push up. This could explain why the rooms are easy to heat but hard to cool.
Q. Our home is 70 years old with an unfinished cinder-block basement. When it is raining heavily, water leaks into the basement through the rebar holes. All of the gutters lead away from the foundation. What is the best way to address this problem?
W.K.
A. The vast majority of times we have a leaky basement it is from clogged downspouts and gutters or because the gutters do not discharge away from the house. Since yours do lead away from the house, check to ensure they are not clogged and just dumping water against the foundation. The earth around the house should be graded away if possible, that can help. Not sure why rebar would be coming through a cinder-block wall, but if the above solutions don’t help, you may need to excavate the trouble areas to properly seal-coat from the outside. That is more involved and costlier, but it would be a good long-term solution.
Mark Philben is the project development manager at Charlie Allen Renovations in Cambridge. Send your questions to [email protected]. Questions are subject to editing. Subscribe to our free real estate newsletter at pages.email.bostonglobe.com/AddressSignUp. Follow us on Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, and Twitter @globehomes.
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