Are there cold and hot spots in your home? Like most homeowners, chances are that you will say yes. Cold and hot spots in the house may make it seem like your heating and cooling system is not up to par. For example, a hot bedroom may make the space difficult to sleep in.
Different rooms may have different temperature requirements inside a house, whereas the household members’ preferences may also differ. There is a high chance that your home atmosphere is also subject to a never-ending battle between family members over the “right” temperature. You may want the living room cooler, whereas your children may want a warmer indoor temperature.
If it seems like different areas of your home have different temperatures, or if your family cannot settle on one temperature option, an HVAC zoning system could help. It offers practical and effective solutions to all your temperature problems.
What Is An HVAC Zoning System?
HVAC zoning allows you to divide your house into multiple zones, each with its controlling thermostat. Zoned HVAC is ideal for setting different areas of your home to the specific temperature you prefer. This way, you will not need to cool or heat the entire house to one temperature. In simpler terms, HVAC zoning gives you more and much better control over your home’s comfort while providing an opportunity for energy saving.
Whether ducted or ductless, a multi-zone cooling and heating system divides your house into clusters/ zones. Each HVAC zone of the house has its operating mode and set temperature. The clusters or zones receive control from dedicated thermostats or smart AC controllers (for ductless air conditioners). These components provide significant control over specific spaces inside the house, helping to increase comfort and reduce energy costs.
Let us assume a two-story home has a hallway, kitchen, and living room on the ground floor, whereas a smaller living space and the bedrooms are upstairs. Since the upper portion of such a two-story house is mostly only occupied during the night, it makes sense to use HVAC zones, considering the lifestyle/ situation.
Keeping the same scenario in mind, homeowners can use HVAC zoning to create one zone spanning the hallway, kitchen, and living room. The upper portion of the smaller living area and bedrooms can be another separate zone. The HVAC zoning system allows you to set the desired temperature for the first zone (ground floor) in continuous use throughout the day. Similarly, you can switch off the second zone (upper portion) most of the day when you are not using the rooms during the day. You can turn on the heating or cooling in this zone later in the day, closer to bedtime.
Following this example, you will only consume air conditioning when needed by dividing your home into HVAC zones. As such, the HVAC zoning system allows you to prevent unnecessary energy usage, saving cash on utility bills.
Benefits of A HVAC Zoning System
It may be abundantly clear that the HVAC zoning system offers several perks for different homes/ families. Let us look at the advantages of creating HVAC zones in your home.
Lower Energy Costs
The energy-saving ability is the primary advantage of using an HVAC zoning system in your home. The US Department of Energy reveals that multi-zone heating and cooling systems can help decrease air conditioning by up to thirty percent. After all, HVAC zoning allows you to use your air conditioning system no more than needed. The zoning system ensures your HVAC does not run unnecessarily when an area in your home is not being used.
Greater Comfort for Occupants
Multi-zone HVAC systems allow homeowners unparalleled control over their air conditioning temperatures and operating modes. You can set an air conditioning mode and specific temperature for each HVAC zone in your home.
For instance, you may want to ramp up the temperatures of a cold spot in your home. Heating that particular space is easily achievable with an HVAC zoning system. This way, the other areas in your home will remain the same in terms of temperature- not receiving any additional heat.
As such, multi-zone HVAC systems help prevent uneven temperatures in the house.
Selective Ventilation
Besides allowing homeowners to control the temperatures and air conditioning methods, multi-zone HVAC systems also offer selective ventilation. HVAC zoning leaves it up to you to decide which parts of your home will receive ventilation and those areas will not.
Selective ventilation can be incredibly beneficial for some households with particular situations and requirements. For example, you can zone off the area where elderly people, who may have respiratory issues, live. Doing so will allow you to prevent harmful particles and allergens that may create breathing problems. In other words, selective ventilation will allow the seniors in your home to be in their preferred environment and safe in terms of health.
AC Zoning System Makes Sense in the Following Scenarios
Now that you know what an HVAC system means and its benefits, it is time to determine whether it makes sense in your home. Here are some situations that will benefit from AC zoning.
Multi Level House
The upstairs in a multi-level home may feel hotter than the downstairs because the heat rises. While few individuals prefer getting out of bed in frigid homes, getting out of bed in the heat is even more challenging. A zoned system is a good option if your multi-level home has temperature swings because it will let you set various temperatures for the upstairs and downstairs areas of your house instead of attempting to control both levels with a single thermostat.
Large Glass Windows, Bay Windows, or Picture Windows in Your Home
It is no surprise that sunlight can significantly affect the temperature and environment in a room. Therefore, the number and size of windows in your home may affect your need for an HVAC zoning system.
For example, large floor-to-ceiling glass windows, bay windows, and picture windows typically allow more sunlight to enter a space. More sunlight can essentially contribute to a temperature increase inside a room.
With HVAC zoning, you can create a dedicated zone for the rooms with extra sunlight or larger windows. Multi-zone HVAC system means you will not need to change the entire home’s temperature to cool a room with more sunlight and, thus, a higher temperature.
High Ceilings
In homes with high ceilings, heat often travels upward, getting trapped at the top. In that case, your home’s interior temperature may leave you shivering. After all, the temperatures are low at ground level.
Multi-zone HVAC systems allow homeowners to eliminate this issue by increasing the space’s temperature more frequently. HVAC zoning ensures the heat circulates much better, warming the cold spaces. You can create separate zones in rooms with tall ceilings to ensure comfort.
This way, you will not need to heat the other areas in your home to raise the temperatures of the colder spaces.
Cold and Hot Temperature Areas in the House
A zoned HVAC system may be the best option for you if none of these circumstances necessarily apply to your house, but each room still feels different in temperature. Your home may have varying temperatures for various reasons, and trying to solve the issue by using a single thermostat in each area won’t work. You may maintain a constant temperature throughout your house or adjust the temperature in each area to your preferences by investing in a zoned HVAC system.
Bottom Line
Zoned HVAC systems create comfortable and customized indoor environments. Additionally, the energy savings brought about by a zoned HVAC system give you the security you require. A zoned HVAC system is worth considering if you have a large or multi-story home with distinct living spaces, taking your home to the next level in air conditioning.
The trained HVAC technicians at ProZone will be happy to help you if you are interested in learning more about HVAC zoning. We can help you decide which system is best for your home.
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