Zoned Systems for Heating and Cooling

Standard heating and cooling systems control the temperature of the whole house to be the same. A zoned system, however, enables a homeowner to control the temperature of each zone or room separately and this minimizes energy costs and maximizes comfort. A zoned system can be adjusted to take several factors into account, including environmental conditions, personal preferences, and room usage. Zoned systems make heating and cooling systems more efficient by distributing heat when and where it is required.

Zoned HVAC Advantages

A properly zoned HVAC system will provide heating and cooling cost savings and better comfort and control throughout the building. If spaces are individually zoned, those that are rarely used or not occupied don’t have to be heated, and areas that tend to become colder than others can be adjusted to provide improved comfort. Using programmable thermostats can also lead to savings by reducing heating and cooling usage when there is nobody in the home or residents are sleeping.

Typical zoned heating and cooling systems treat a house’s main floor as one heating and cooling zone while the bedroom area upstairs is a separate heating and cooling zone. This enables homeowners to direct heat to the main floor during the day and to the bedrooms upstairs at night. This allows vacant areas of the home to cool down. A zoned system also lets homeowners minimize the conditioned air usage in areas that are not used often, like storage spaces or guest rooms.
The U.S. Department of Energy says zoned systems can save homeowners as much as 30% on typical cooling and heating and cooling bills. As heating and cooling costs account for more than 40% percent of the utility costs of an average household, zoned system savings really add up quickly.

The U.S. Department of Energy says zoned systems can save homeowners as much as 30% on typical cooling and heating and cooling bills. As heating and cooling costs account for more than 40% percent of the utility costs of an average household, zoned system savings really add up quickly.

What Is Zoned HVAC?

A hydronic zoned heating and cooling system’s main component is a zone valve that controls the flow of water. An actuator is used to open and close the valve depending on the setting of the thermostat for that zone. Zone valves can be bought in 2- or 3-way valve configurations and come with several connection types. They can be normally open or normally closed and are able to provide various flow rates depending on the size of the valve. This allows homeowners to customize a system for different-size zones and different floor plans. Zone valves can be utilized with a wide variety of hydronic heating and cooling systems, including radiators, baseboards, radiant applications, and heat pumps.

Homeowners that have forced hot air heating and cooling systems can create several zones by using multiple thermostats that are connected to the master control panel. This panel will open or close one or more dampers that are located inside the ductwork.

A wide selection of thermostats is also available, including programmable ones, to provide control for a zoned system. Although any thermostat can be used for home zoning, not all thermostats are suitable for the same applications. Different thermostat features, the layout of the heating and cooling system, and voltages are used to determine one the application.

Zoned Systems Misconceptions

One very common misconception about a zoned heating and cooling system is that it will enable you to keep different rooms at different temperatures than other parts of the home. Although this may be partially true, it depends on the design and layout of the home.

Zoned systems are used to keep the temperature throughout a home more consistent and this essentially increases the comfort level for all rooms. Think about how your home is lit up. You’ll never have only one light switch that controls all the lights in the house. You always have many light switches, one for each room and sometimes more than one per room, and this allows you to control the lighting throughout the house better. Use this same concept to think about your heating and cooling system and the level of control you would get if you had a thermostat in every zone or room of the house. Each thermostat reports back to the central control panel and based on your settings, tells it how to operate to make the zone more comfortable.

Zoned systems have limitations. It may not be practical to configure each room as its own zone. The system would rather be configured so that each room in a specific zone has similar heating and cooling needs or a common function. One example is to include warmer, upstairs south facing rooms in one zone while naturally cooler basement rooms are put in another.

Equipment Required for Zoned Systems

Zoned systems need specific equipment. bluefrog of San Antonio, TX, can install modulating, variable speed units which are the preferred unit for zoning systems. Zoning dampers, sensors, and thermostats are also installed with the system. Zoning technology also has specialized equipment used for air purification and air conditioning.

Installing a Zoned System

Adding zoned heating and cooling systems to existing homes is fairly complex and normally requires the services of a professional installer.
For more information on installing zoned systems, contact bluefrog Plumbing + Drain + HVAC of San Antonio, TX at [rpdp=phone-link] today to discuss your requirements.