A Home Divided
Balancing home comfort and energy costs can be a delicate undertaking. Each member of your family has a temperature preference and it is very hard to persuade them to adapt to other family members’ comfort needs. The good news is that zoning systems let you remain comfortable while minimizing your heating and cooling costs.
Zoning Design
A single thermostat controls heating and cooling in most homes. With a zoned system, the home is divided into multiple sections, each with its own thermostat. This offers the homeowner more control over the temperature in different parts of the house. It will keep the occupied areas of the home at a comfortable temperature without the added energy expense of heating or cooling unoccupied parts of the house.
Zoning is common in multi-story houses, with each floor treated as a separate zone. During the winter, for example, you can concentrate the heat on the main floor during the da, and then to the upper floors during the night. In single story homes, zoning allows you to separate the living areas from the bedrooms.
How Zoning Works
In homes with forced-air HVAC systems, each zone’s thermostat connects back to a central control unit. That central panel controls the heating and cooling systems, as well as dampers in the ductwork.
Let’s say a zone thermostat signals for more heat. It sends a signal to the central control panel, which then signals the heating system to start up. At the same time, it sends a signal to dampers in the ducts to open the path between the heating system and the zone requesting heat. The heated air flows into the zone. Once the zone reaches the desired temperature, the thermostat will signal the central control unit to shut down. The control unit will shut down the heating system and also close the dampers.
Learn more about Coastal Heating & Air’s zoning systems or call us at 410.919.0110 to schedule an appointment with one of our zoning system specialists.