Tag: zoning systems

Comfort Plus Control with Zoning Systems

Posted on by T.F. O'Brien Cooling & Heating

An option for your heating and cooling system that allows better comfort, greater control and the potential to reduce energy costs sounds good, doesn’t it? The use of zoning systems gives homeowners that type of increased comfort and control in our homes.

Zoning systems added to a home’s existing heating and cooling systems results in a more consistent temperature level. The home is divided into “zones” that have their own thermostat. The different thermostats tie into a central control allowing the homeowner to have a consistent comfort level in all the home living spaces. This eliminates problem rooms or areas that are too cool in winter or too hot in summer. The flow of conditioned air is more accurately balanced without getting one room too hot or cool in order to warm up or cool off another room. More air is delivered where it is needed, less air where it is not.

The air distribution can be controlled and the comfort level in each zone is more easily maintained. Rooms or areas that are rarely used can be dealt with separately. Keep those areas at a winter level of 65 degrees and a summer level of 78. While the other living spaces maintain a 72-degree level, you are saving energy costs by reducing the heating and cooling of rooms that are seldom, if ever, used. Put the warm and cool air where it is needed, not where it is wasted.

Zoning systems can give you that kind of control. If you and your family have noticed “hot spots” or “cold spots” inside the home, zoning may be a solution. If you would like an assessment of your home to see if zoning systems can give you greater comfort and control, contact us at  T.F. O’Brien. We’re always happy to help with answers and options for your home comfort concerns.

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

Retrofitting Options for Zoning Systems

Posted on by T.F. O'Brien Cooling & Heating

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.

How HVAC Zoning Systems Provide Home Comfort

Posted on by T.F. O'Brien Cooling & Heating

It seems like all of us have a different comfort zone when it comes to the heat and air conditioning system in our home.   However, there is a way to solve this issue and it satisfies everyone’s needs. It is called zoning systems. Basically what this system does is allow you to heat or cool certain “zones” or areas in your home to different temperatures, based on your needs.

Zoning works with both forced air and hot water heating systems, and offers customized comfort for every area of your home.

Zoning operates through a group of components. The first of these is the motorized dampers. These open and close based on the requirements of the zone thermostats – and zone thermostats are another component.  Standard thermostats are used. When each zone is divided in the house it uses its own thermostat to control the temperature. for the individual zone.

The zone thermostats, along with the dampers, are wired into a central control panel. The panel is then connected to the thermostat connection on the HVAC unit. Where other systems use one thermostat the zoning systems has a master control panel. This allows the until to be operated by multiple thermostats.

When any of the thermostats make a request for heating or cooling the panel accepts the call from that zone. This zone will then be serviced while the other zones remain at their present temperature until their call is made to be serviced. Once the control panel receives the request it then services that  next specific zone.

Most homes require either a two or a four zone system. If the home has two zones it is basically divided as follows: one zone covers the living room and kitchen; the second zone would include the bedrooms and bathrooms. There are optional ways of zoning and this depends basically on the size and configuration of the home or office.

Zoning systems are not only convenient, they also offer more efficiency. This efficiency equates to a major savings on future  energy bills.

T.F. O’Brien services the Long Island, New York area.

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