Keeping your home comfortable can be a big task—the bigger home home, the bigger the job. Maintaining a comfortable indoor environment without draining your bank account can seem like a never-ending pursuit in any size home, without the right equipment, but in larger houses, the challenge is amplified.
If it seems as though your current HVAC system can’t keep your home consistently comfortable across all its rooms and spaces, a zoned system may be the answer. Here is some information on zoned systems to help determine if one of these systems is the right solution for your home.
What Is AC/Heating Zoning?
Unlike a typical AC/heating setup that uses a single HVAC system to heat and cool the entire home, a zoned system uses two or more separate sets of AC/heating equipment, each responsible for cooling/heating a specific area or “zone.” Although these zones are often split by floor, they can be divided in many ways and customized to meet the needs of each individual home.
The different sets of equipment in a zoned AC/heating system feed separate ducts and have separate return vents. A zoned system typically uses a central or “master” control system to manage all the zones from one location; zoned systems often include separately located controls within each zone, too. Such separate controls allow direct management of individual areas, creating maximum control and comfort for occupants.
What are the Advantages of a Zoned AC/Heating System?
If you own a large home, there may be areas that sometimes go unused or that aren’t used as much. Or maybe you have occupants living in different areas of the home with different AC/heating needs. If you have a zoned HVAC system, you can control the temperature in these areas separately. This helps ensure you don’t pay to heat or cool rooms or entire floors that aren’t occupied for stretches of time or that are occupied less often. Or you can help avoid paying extra in heating/cooling for occupants who may desire a different temperature than what’s produced in other areas of the home.
Regardless of how usage is divided, the power to control heating and cooling through a zoned system typically won’t cost as much in energy as running a single, larger unit across an entire premises. A zoned system, then, can potentially save the homeowner significant money in heating and cooling.
Planning a Zoned HVAC System Is Crucial
The planning and design of a zoned system is vital for successful implementation. Ductwork must be properly routed and each zone must have the proper equipment for maintaining a constant temperature without running constantly. At GVEC Home, we’ve got experience in energy-efficient residential HVAC installation—over 50 years’ worth—giving us the knowledge to design an individualized zoned HVAC system that’s right for your home. If you’re ready to explore your options, contact us today at 877.466.5506. We’d be thrilled to do a complete analysis of your home, assessing its potential for saving you money through a zoned AC/heating system.
