Zoning

Zoning IllustrationSimple laws of physics illustrate why
it is virtually impossible to keep an entire house at a
consistent temperature without zoning. Warm air rises
while cold air sinks, leaving upstairs rooms six to ten
degrees warmer and basements six to ten degrees cooler
than ground level rooms. A single thermostat keeps the
temperature balanced in the room where it is located,
but can't tell if the temperature has changed in other
rooms of the house. Zoning helps maintain a consistent
temperature throughout the house by providing
different levels of air distribution to different areas of the
home.

Zone controlled systems divide a home into areas with
common heating and cooling needs during specific parts
of the day. Air flow is controlled in each area by a
separate thermostat. Instead of sending the same
amount of heated or cooled air into all room every time
the furnace or air conditioner is turned on, the system
sends conditioned air only to the zones that need it.
Temperaturs can be kept at an ideal comfort level when
the family is up and about, then changed to an
energy-saving temperature overnight or when the family
is away.

For example, in a typical two-story house, the main floor
with the living room, kitchen and dining area, is usually
occupied during the evenings. Bedrooms are occupied
mostly at night and in the early morning. With zoning,
you can cool or heat one area of the house at a time. You
can also select different temperature settings for each
zone of the house. In most homes, a two or three zone
system is sufficient. Rarely does a home equire more
than three zones.

Most homes can be zoned according to room occupancy,
but unique exposure factors may require a different
zoning strategy. A room with large amounts of glass
facing south or west will have more heat gain than other
rooms in the home. A separate zone might be required
for that room alone!

Electronic
thermostats
work in much the
same way as
older, manual
thermostats did.

A microprocessor
inside compares
the thermometer
reading of a
room’s
temperature to
the desired
temperature you
select.

Then, it gives
start and stop
commands to the
heating or
cooling system to
bring the
temperature to a
level that makes
you comfortable.

It's up to you to
change the
settings when
you need move
comfort

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.

Plus, since you
don’t need extra
capacity to heat
or cool areas
you’re not using,
zoning may
allow you to
install a smaller
unit.

Smaller-capacit
y equipment
costs less to
install and to
operate. That
translates into
even more
savings!