Consider a Zoning System to Balance Uneven Temperatures in Your Home

Temperatures inside the typical home may vary significantly from room to room due to unbalanced airflow and any number of heat gain/loss issues. This leads to higher energy bills and disagreements over thermostat settings. If any of this sounds familiar, consider the benefits of a zoning system to ease the wear on your energy budget, your heating and cooling system and your patience.

The Basics

A zoning system consists of motorized duct doors installed inside the ductwork, which regulate airflow to the living spaces. A thermostat is installed in each zone, which is one or more rooms and areas, to monitor temperatures. All thermostats are linked to a central control panel that controls the duct doors and airflow to each zone based on thermostats settings.

The Benefits

Control of your indoor environment offers these benefits:

• A zoning system delivers airflow exactly where you want it, when you want it, and at the temperature you set or program.
• You may save energy 24/7 by heating and cooling the occupied zones as needed.
• Provide additional airflow, conditioned or not (fan cycle), to areas in your Orlando area home that are moisture havens.
• Deliver zoned temperatures based on each occupant’s comfort preference.

Zoning Your Home

These are the basic steps and guidelines for designing your zoning system.

• Your HVAC professional performs a heat gain/loss calculation of your home, and asks pertinent questions about occupant energy usage habits and schedules.
• For multi-level homes, all rooms and areas in any particular zone should be designated to the same floor.
• Rooms that receive ample sunlight should be in a different zone than shaded rooms, even if heavy window coverings are used in sun-facing rooms.
• Use programmable thermostats for each zone.

Consider buttoning up your home by sealing air leaks with caulk, weatherstripping and spray foam, and insulating key areas, such as the attic, below the floor and inside walls. A sealed home helps zoning performance, saves you energy no matter the season, and helps control moisture in your home.

For more information about the benefits of a zoning system, please contact us at Rinaldi’s Energy Solutions today.

Our goal is to help educate our customers in Orlando, Florida and surrounding areas about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems).  For more information about zoning systems and other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Resource guide.

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