If you’re searching for ways to lower your heating and cooling costs and improve your home comfort, an HVAC zoning system might be just what you need. These systems split up your home into smaller zones, which gives you far more control over your HVAC system and lets you direct more heating and cooling to wherever it is needed most. A zoning system makes it easy to overcome hot and cold spots and also lower your monthly energy bills, and here is a quick overview of how these systems work.
How Does an HVAC Zoning System Work?
A zoning system utilizes metal dampers that are installed inside of your existing ductwork. These dampers spilt the duct system into different zones so that you can independently control the temperature in each zone without any impact on the rest of the building.
Every zone has a thermostat that controls the temperature for that zone only. When heating or air conditioning is needed in that zone, the central control board signals the dampers to open so that air flows to that zone. Once the temperature in that zone reaches the set level, the dampers close to block air from flowing to that zone even if the system is still heating or cooling other zones.
How HVAC Zoning Improves Comfort and Energy Efficiency
A zoning system means that you don’t always need to heat or cool the entire house, which can be a huge help in reducing your energy costs. If you have areas that you rarely ever use, you create a separate zone for those rooms. This lets you set the temperature higher in the summer and lower in the winter so that they receive less heat or cooling. The same is also true if you have parts of the house that always stay much colder or hotter as the zoning system enables you to direct more or less hot or cold air to those areas as needed.
Zoning systems are ideally suited for homes with multiple levels. Multi-story homes will typically have issues with the upper floors staying much warmer and the basement and lower levels constantly feeling cooler. With a zoning system, you can set the temperature in the lower levels higher during the winter to ensure that they stay warm enough. This also enables you to set the temperatures in the upper levels lower without any noticeable difference since much of the heat will always rise to the top floors. In this way, you can reduce your energy costs without sacrificing anything in the way of comfort.
At Gatewood Heating & Air Conditioning, Inc., we are a full-service HVAC company that specializes in all types of heating and cooling repairs, maintenance and installation for residents of Sonora and the surrounding areas. To learn more about the benefits of HVAC zoning or to schedule a consultation to see if a zone control system is right for you, give us a call today.
