Why is My Apartment so Hot?

After a long day of work, there's nothing like the feeling of finally getting into your comfortable home and plopping down on the couch.

But that cherished feeling can easily disappear if your apartment feels like a furnace. Unusually hot and stuffy temperatures can have you wondering:

"Why is my apartment so hot?"

Read on as we cover several reasons why your apartment might be hotter than normal and what you can do to improve your indoor apartment temperature.
What Causes My Apartment To Be Hot?

No matter where you live, once summer rolls around, it's bound to get hotter than normal. But if you notice that your apartment seems hotter than normal, it could be something other than the weather. 

Let's look at some possible reasons for a hot apartment.

You Live on the Top Floor

Apartments that lie on the top of buildings endure most of the heat that rises from the rooms below. While that might be nice during the colder months of the year, it could be a nightmare during the summer.

The walls on the top floor tend to store heat from the lower floors, making it feel like a furnace especially if the people below you use heaters regularly.

Poor Air Flow

Having good apartment air flow is important to get the heatwaves moving through your house. If your house has poor airflow, it'll get really stuffy and hot. 

An obvious cause of this is closed windows and doors. If you close all the windows and doors, there's nowhere for the heat to escape.

You're Running Too Many Appliances

If you're running several electronic appliances, they could be the culprit for your hot apartment. This includes computers, space heaters, and iron boxes. Turn off devices that you don't need to lower the temperature in your apartment.

Poor Air Conditioning

There are several common AC issues that could be affecting your apartment's temperature.

If you have your air conditioning unit running but your apartment is still hot, it might not be functioning properly. Defective AC units actually tend to make things worse. 

It might not just be defective, though. Your air conditioning unit could be too small for the size of your apartment. 

Another issue is the air conditioning filter. If it's dirty, the air conditioning unit won't function properly.

Too Much Sunlight

If you get a lot of direct sunlight rays through your windows (especially if you live on the top floor), your apartment will get much hotter. Make sure you have blinds that can block out those rays during the hottest part of the days.

Clogged Air Vents

This is one of the more common culprits in hot apartments. Blocked vents prevent air from circulating in your apartment and will cause your AC unit to overwork to compensate for the lack of airflow.

There's a myth that closing your vents will improve your AC's efficiency. This isn't true! Keep those vents open and clean to get the best airflow through your apartment.

How to Cool Off Your Apartment

Now let's get to some solutions that can help you bring the temperature down in your apartment.

Open the Windows

We'll start with the most obvious and easily accessible solution: Open up your windows and let the breeze come in. This helps in improving apartment insulation and will make it cooler.

Opening your windows is especially important when you are cooking so that you can allow the heat from your stove to escape. This will also ensure that your walls don't trap all of the heat, keeping you up and sweating all throughout the night.

Check for Problems With Your AC Unit

If you have an AC unit but you're still dying of heat in your apartment, check for issues. Most times, you'll find that the filters are dirty, which prevents you from getting that cold air circulating in your apartment.

The fan might also have issues with not allowing cool air to escape. You might need to call a specialist or your apartment manager to help you out.

Get a Smart Thermostat

Smart thermostats are a great option to help you get your apartment cooler. These devices learn your habits and track the temperature in your apartment. Doing this can help you efficiently cool your apartment during the summer and warm it in the winter.

You can even control the temperature when you're not home through a convenient app.

Cool Your Bedding

Cooling bedding is a fantastic new technology that helps push moisture and heat away to allow you to be as cool as possible when you're in bed. If you have trouble staying cool throughout the night, we highly recommend you try it out.

Shade Your Windows

If you have an apartment that is facing South or West or don't have tall buildings blocking sunlight from hitting your apartment, you're probably absorbing a lot of heat from the hottest thing there is: the sun.

Invest in quality drapes or blinds that can block out the heat and keep it closed throughout the day. If you are gone from your apartment during the day, close them before you leave so that the apartment is cooler when you get back.

Use LED Lights Instead of Incandescent Bulbs

LED lights emit about 100 times less heat than incandescent bulbs, and they even last about 20 times longer as well. Invest in some LED bulbs and you might even save more on your electrical costs!

Get a Fan and Turn Off Heat-Emitting Appliances

Try to turn off any big appliances that may be heating up your apartment unnecessarily, like computers or televisions.

Get some fans and manually create some airflow in your apartment near the windows. This will push hot air from inside your house back out. 

Key Takeaways

Although dealing with hot apartments sucks, there are several tricks that you can do to keep the temperature down. Hopefully, after trying some of these tricks, you won't constantly be asking yourself, "Why is my apartment so hot?"

But the best way to ensure you have a cool apartment is by finding a comfortable, well-designed building in the first place. If you're looking to move to a new place, schedule a tour with us to find your next dream home.