In a typical home, its HVAC system is meant to heat or cool the entire place, with a single thermostat controlling everything. It’s supposed to make the whole house comfortable, but more often than not, that is not really the case.
In a house with one thermostat controlling the HVAC system, the area where that thermostat is located is quite comfortable, but the rest of the place isn’t. Keep in mind that it’s the thermostat that detects the temperature in the room, which it then uses to keep the system running or stop it when it believes everything is comfortable.
Simply put, the thermostat only knows the temperature in the area where it’s actually located. With a single thermostat, it is not uncommon for the main level of a house to feel nice and warm in the middle of winter, but the upper level would be freezing.
Achieving optimal comfort for the entire home with one thermostat is next to impossible. But if you implement an HVAC zoning system for your home, every single spot in your home will be as comfortable as you want to make it.
What is an HVAC zoning system?
HVAC zoning is a control system that gives you a way to customize heating and cooling in specific areas of your home. The whole system revolves around the idea of creating distinct comfort zones within your home, with each zone having its own, individual thermostat to control the temperature.
How does HVAC zoning work?
A zoning system requires thermostats, a control panel, and dampers for regulating airflow in your ducts. When a thermostat senses that its area is going to need heating or cooling, it will send a signal to the control panel, which, in turn, will alert the HVAC system, then open the dampers to direct airflow into the zone that called for cooling or heating.
Once the thermostat determines that its area has already reached the desired temperature, it will alert the control panel to close the dampers. The process will then repeat whenever any of the zones need heating or cooling.
The benefits of an HVAC zoning system
1. Comfort for everybody
In some households, the thermostat can be the subject of some sort of a tug-of-war. Some turn the thermostat way up, especially those who occupy the areas of the house that don’t get much in the way of heating or cooling. Those who spend much of their time near the main area of the house where the lone thermostat is located, on the other hand, take matters into their own hands because their area would then be too hot or too cold.
With an HVAC zoning system, everyone can set the thermostat in their respective areas at any temperature they would like. That means comfort for all members of the household all day, every day.
2. Lower energy bills
Dividing your home into zones doesn’t just give you better control of the temperature in each sector. It also allows you to avoid heating or cooling rooms that aren’t in use. With one signal from the thermostat in a specific area, you can stop airflow into that room and save on your heating and cooling costs in the process.
3. Longer life for your HVAC system
The efficiency that HVAC zoning brings helps reduce wear and tear on your current HVAC system. As a result, the life of your HVAC system will be extended.
4. Cleaner indoor air
You might think the air inside your home is cleaner than outside air, but that isn’t always the case. Sure, the air outside your home may likely be polluted, but indoor air doesn’t offer much in the way of quality either. The air inside your home is loaded with dust, pollen, dirt, mold, pet dander, and other contaminants. And with the help of a standard HVAC system, spreading them throughout the house is even easier.
That wouldn’t happen with an HVAC zoning system, as the separate nature of the zones prevents contaminants from traveling all too easily around your home. By keeping their spread in check, an HVAC zoning system, in effect, can help reduce incidences of allergic reactions, eye irritation, skin rashes, asthma, and other air quality-related health problems.
Give HVAC zoning a try, and see for yourself all the good that it can do for your home.
About The Author
Rebecca Anderson is the Content Marketing Strategist of FH Air Conditioning, a heating and air conditioning repair and service company that has been serving the Phoenix Valley since 1974. On her spare time, she enjoys reading books and mountaineering with her family and friends.
