Get In the Zone: How a Zoned HVAC System Can Help You Save Money

Keeping your whole house regulated at the same comfortable temperature may seem convenient, but it could be more costly than you think. With a zoned HVAC system, you can set different parts of the home to different temperatures, ensuring occupied areas are comfortable while cutting down on heating and air conditioning bills. Read on to find out more about how zoned HVAC systems can help you save money and improve the efficiency of your home.

Zoned HVAC Systems: What Are They?

In a home with an unzoned HVAC system, the temperature of the entire house, including each floor and the basement, is controlled by the same central temperature control system. Because some parts of the house may be naturally warmer or colder than other parts, using a central HVAC system to deliver the same amount of hot or cool air to each room may result in uneven temperatures throughout the home.

Zoned HVAC systems use separate thermostats or sensors in different sections of the home, which tell the heating and cooling system how to regulate each section independently of the others. A zoned HVAC system may consist of multiple independent temperature-control panels that correlate to each zone. Alternatively, a homeowner may have specialized system zoning equipment installed in a central HVAC system; in this case, one system controls the entire home, but different zones are still regulated separately.

Is a Zoned HVAC System Right for You?

An unzoned HVAC system may be ideal for single-floor or open-plan homes, which are likely to require the same temperature regulation throughout. However, houses with multiple floors, basements, and other architectural features such as high ceilings, large amounts of windows, and rooms built over garages will have different ambient temperatures in different places. System zoning can help keep each part of your home at an appropriate temperature. For example, if you find that the basement is getting too cold, you can adjust the temperature of the lower floor only and save yourself the money that you would otherwise lose from heating the upper floors as well.

Installing a zoned system allows you to regulate only the parts of your home that are being used. Again, this can help you cut back on your heating bill by only spending as much as you need to keep occupied rooms at a comfortable temperature. You may even want to consider installing thermostats that can be programmed to regulate different parts of the house at different parts of the day—for instance, turning on the air conditioning when family members return from work—or motion sensors that tell the HVAC system which rooms are being used and will require temperature adjustments.

It’s easiest to have a zoned system installed in your home from the beginning, but adding zoning equipment to an existing system is possible as well. If you think a zoned HVAC system sounds like a good investment, get in touch with a Best Pick HVAC contractor to start saving money and enjoying a more comfortable home.