Is an HVAC Zoning System Right for You?

Does your house have a “Goldilocks” problem? In other words, do you have some rooms that are too hot, some that are too cold and others that are just right?
If this pattern of uneven temperature distribution sounds familiar, you may want to seriously consider installing a zoned heating and cooling system in your home. Such a technological upgrade could eliminate those uncomfortable differentials forever.

Unlike the typical heating and cooling system, which relies on a single thermostat for control, zoned systems feature multiple thermostats that allow you to customize indoor temperatures by the room, floor or section. Home occupants can turn the settings up or down as they please, redirecting heated or cooled air only where it is wanted and needed at any particular time.
In zoned systems, dampers or valves are added to the duct work so air flow can be cut off or redirected as preferred. So if, for example, you’d like the air conditioning on in your bedroom while you sleep but off in the rest of the house, a zoned system can handle that with ease.
Or if your kids like to keep their rooms warmer than yours during the wintertime, they can turn their thermostats up while you turn yours down. Your centralized HVAC system will then adjust its output and the direction of that output accordingly.
Or if you’d simply like to equalize temperature differentials (and comfort levels) between upstairs and downstairs you can have a simpler system that allows you to do just that.
In addition to giving you and your family members greater freedom of choice, zoned HVAC systems will save you money in comparison to traditional one-thermostat units. In fact a study commissioned by the U.S. Department of Energy found that zoned systems could reduce home energy costs by as much as 30 percent, which demonstrates how much extra work a furnace or air conditioner has to perform when it’s required to heat or cool an entire home to the same uniform temperature every single time.
Another advantage of zoned systems is that they tend to extend the lifespan of your furnaces, heat pumps and air conditioners, which is directly related to the overall decrease in their workload.

Adding zoning capacity to your HVAC system is likely to save you money and improve your family’s comfort level if one or more of the following apply:
• You live in a house with a large floor plan.
• Your home has multiple levels.
• You have a large family with varying temperature preferences.
• Certain rooms or sections of your home are more exposed to the elements (primarily sunlight and wind) than others.
• Some rooms or areas have significantly higher thermal mass, either inside or outside (“thermal mass” is a measurement of how much heat from the atmosphere a building material can absorb and release over the course of a day).
• Your basement and/or attic are frequently occupied because they’re used as actual rooms.
• Your home has complex or unusual architectural characteristics that cause significant shape variations between rooms.
• You live in a climate that experiences seasonal temperature extremes, forcing you to use your heating and cooling equipment more often than normal.

At All Air Heating and Air we’re your Lodi-area experts in the operation and installation of zoned HVAC systems.
Get “in the zone” with us and we’ll convert your home into an oasis of personalized, customizable contentment. You’ll be positively blissful when your energy costs begin to plummet, as a result of your decision to adopt the ultimate in comfort zone technology.
If you’d like to learn more about your HVAC options, zoned or otherwise, contact us soon as possible and let’s get the conversation started.