Zoning Systems for Heating and Cooling
With a zoning system, you can actually divide your home into two, three or four separate “zones” with similar comfort needs. Then, a system of electronic thermostats and electronically controlled dampers automatically adjusts the level of comfort in each of those zones.
A zoning system gives you the same kind of flexibility in controlling heating and cooling that you have with light switches in your home. It doesn’t make sense to waste energy to light a room no one is using it, so you turn off the light switch. With zoning, you can basically do the same thing with heating and cooling. The two primary advantages of zoning are:
- Comfort: Zoning is especially beneficial if you have certain rooms or areas that are always warmer or cooler than the rest of the home or office. You can direct your system to automatically provide more heating or cooling to that area without wasting energy to heat or cool your entire building.
- Efficiency: In many cases, proper zoning can result in operating cost savings of as much as 30%. While zoning does not actually increase the efficiency of your furnace, heat pump or air conditioner, it does increase the overall efficiency of your system by directing heating or cooling only where you need it. Also, since you don’t need extra capacity to heat or cool areas you’re not using, zoning may allow you to use a smaller unit that costs less to install and to operate.
