Retrofitting Options for Zoning Systems

Home zoning systems have gained in popularity as a method of moderating room-to-room temperature fluctuations. It’s not uncommon to see zoning systems incorporated into new residential construction as it is being built. Existing homes can also use zoning to maximize home comfort. The system can be retrofitted.

Zoning is simply a method to maintain a comfortable level of heating and cooling consistent throughout the home. Leaving one room to move to another can mean a change of several degrees in temperature. This problem can especially exist in two or three story homes. Upstairs rooms can get uncomfortably warm due to downstairs heat rising. Zoning systems can control the heating and cooling differences.

A heating and air specialist can consult best determine how to retrofit an existing home. Usually, the home is divided into two, three or four zones. Separate thermostats are installed in the zones. These work in conjunction with a central control unit. This unit can intelligently control the amount of air required in each zone, keeping a consistent comfort level in the living spaces of the home. Hot and/or cold spots are eliminated.

Rooms, wings or sections of a home that see little use can be controlled to reduce the amount of heat or cool air going in. This can result in a substantial savings in energy costs. Savings of up to 30 percent are not uncommon in homes with a zoning retrofit.

Over time, zoning systems can pay for themselves in fuel and energy costs. The added benefit of a consistent temperature in all living spaces makes zoning quite attractive to families who have had to endure rooms that are too cold in winter and too hot in summer.

The experts at  T.F. O’Brien Cooling and Heating are familiar with all the latest information in maintaining peak comfort at the lowest possible cost. Call us if we can help.

Our goal is to help educate our customers about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems).   For more information about xoning systems and other HVAC topics,  click here to download our free Home Comfort Resource guide.