Know Your AC Zone Systems
If you live with family members or roommates, there’s a good chance you’ve argued over your home’s temperature at times. In fact, for many people it’s a hotly contested issue. But long gone are the days where you’re doomed to reach a compromise where nobody is totally happy or one of you has to live forever cold or hot. With the right AC zone system, you can adjust the temperature in different areas of your home as needed.
It’s important to not just jump on the first zone control system you find. Instead, take the time to learn more about temperature air flow in your home, as well as the different types of zone systems available. By doing so, you’ll find the perfect zone system for your home and make an important long-term investment that brings you both comfort and higher air quality! It’s also worth pointing out that many homeowners save up to 30 percent on their energy bill after a year of installation.
Here’s what you need to know:
What Homes Are Best Suited for Zone Control Systems?
Obviously, arguing with your roommate or family member over your home’s temperature is enough to make you start considering an AC zone system. But knowing whether or not such a system would actually benefit your home is another. If you meet any of the following points, a zone control system could work wonders for you:
- Your home has multiple levels (stories)
- You notice significant temperature differences when moving between rooms and hallways
- You have large windows
- You have rooms with high ceilings
- You live in an older home, with insulation, walls and windows that may not have been updated in a while
- You don’t use all of the rooms in your home all the time
- All or part of your home is often shadowed by outside trees, landscape or other buildings
The good news is that even if you’re still unsure if a zone control system would work in your home, you most likely still have a lot of options. This is why it is so important to consult with an experienced air conditioning and heating expert before making any major decisions.
How an AC Zone Control System Works
It’s important to know how anything you’re installing in your home works, and AC zone control systems are no exception. This type of system plays off of the way airflow naturally works in your home, as in, which areas are naturally kept warmer and which are naturally maintained with cooler air. By identifying these different temperature spots, your zone control system can be set up in the most advantageous way possible.
So, with this in mind, an AC zone system is actually fairly straightforward in function. First, you will need an expert to come in and form a plan for how best to divide up your home into different temperature zones. Each of these “zones” will have its own heating/cooling control thermostat placed in convenient locations. Dampers will also be placed all throughout your home’s existing HVAC system, allowing the zones to be sectioned off and closed / opened as needed. All thermostats will be centrally connected to one main operating system with an easy-to-use control pad.
Are you starting to see how this system works yet? By dividing your home into these zones with their own thermostats, you will be able to adjust the temperature in each area either individually or all at once as needed. You will be able to do so either from the thermostats themselves or via the central control pad.
What Kind of Zone Control System Does My Home Need?
Generally speaking, different AC zone systems all operate in pretty much the same way (as outline in the previous section). That said, the amount of temperature zones you have set up in your home can vary greatly. In this sense, the type of system you need will depend on a few different factors, specifically the size and shape of your home, the amount (and size) of rooms you have, and the naturally warm/cold spots. Homes with more levels and more rooms usually need more controlled zones, while smaller homes and apartments can usually get by just fine on between two and four.
Now, because zone control systems vary in size means that installation time can vary greatly as well. However, in many cases a zone control system can be put in within one to two days.
It’s also worth pointing out that many people who are in the process of renovating their homes use this time as the perfect opportunity to put in a zone control system. If you do so, it is recommended that you wait until the renovations are reaching their final stages, so you have a better idea of how temperature and air flow are going to naturally work between your new walls.
Ready to get started? We invite you to reach out to us today to learn more about AC zone control systems and how your home can be optimized for your temperature comfort needs!
