MASTERING COMFORT:
THE INS & OUTS OF ZONE CONTROL HVAC SYSTEMS
Imagine this, it’s summertime, and you have your bedroom upstairs while everyone else’s bedrooms are downstairs. In order to keep your room at a comfortable temperature at night, you must turn on your air conditioner at full blast. However, by doing so you end up freezing everyone on the lower floor. Multi-story homes are notorious for having inconsistent temperatures.
What is a Zone Control System?
In HVAC, a zone control system (also referred to as a zoning system or zoned HVAC) is a system that grants you control over areas of your home where you want specific heating and cooling. Zoning in traditional duct systems works by opening and closing dampers throughout your ductwork to redirect hot or cold air to different areas/zones of the home. With a zoned system, you won’t have to sacrifice your comfort in one area of the house just to heat or cool another area.
When Zoning Makes Sense
While zoning can be beneficial for many homeowners, there are some instances where zoning your home doesn’t make too much sense. The main purpose of zoning is to give you more control over areas that a single, non-zoned system can’t reach, so a zone control system would be best for people with multi-level homes, homes with high ceilings, homes with large windows, homes with sunrooms, and any home that deals with inconsistent heating and cooling in certain areas. It’s also great if you have areas of your home that are rarely used and don’t need constant heating and cooling. A single-story home with a relatively open layout would likely not see many benefits from a zoned system.
Advantages of Zoned Systems
The most obvious advantage to a zoned HVAC system is increased control over various areas of your home. Those spending time on lower levels of the home will no longer have to freeze for the people upstairs to be comfortable. You can ensure every part of the house is at the temperature you want.
In addition to being a more comfortable option, a zoned HVAC system can also be very energy efficient and end up saving you money on your utility bills. With non-zoned HVAC systems, if you want to heat up one area of the home, you have to heat up the entire house. This ends up wasting a good amount of energy on heating and cooling spaces that didn’t need it. With a zoned system,
Air can be directed from areas of the house that don’t get used or don’t need additional heating or cooling to any zone you choose. Because your system doesn’t have to constantly work overtime to reach every part of your home, you end up saving money on heating and cooling bills and also lengthen the lifespan of your system.
Disadvantages of a Zoned System
The disadvantages of a zone control system pretty much all stem from the complexity of the system. Zoned systems use a lot more equipment than traditional HVAC systems, because of this, they are more difficult to install and have a higher upfront cost. Maintenance of a zoned system also proves to be more challenging. With so many different components to the system, when things go wrong it can be tough to figure out what exactly is causing the issue.
You’ll need an experienced, properly trained HVAC professional to help you.
Whether you want to install/replace a zone system for your home, or just want to learn more about zoning and types of zoned systems, Favret is here to help. Call Favret Heating and Cooling today at 614-488-5211 so we can help you take back control over your comfort at an affordable price.