Consider a Zoning System for Consistent Heating and Cooling

If your home has certain rooms or areas that are difficult to heat or cool (or both), congratulations! You’re just like a lot of other people. It’s not uncommon for a home’s heating and cooling system to face difficulties providing consistent comfort throughout. Homes with multiple floors are especially prone to this challenge.

Why HVAC Systems Heat and Cool Unevenly

While the problem of inconsistent or unbalanced heating and cooling may be related to defective ductwork, a malfunctioning blower or some other issue, most of the time it’s due to a simple reality of residential HVAC: Different rooms, areas or floors in a house are affected differently by various factors. These can include

• orientation to the sun,
• location or level in the house,
• the type and amount of building materials and insulation,
• variations in air leakage and
• distance from the HVAC equipment,
• among many others.

It might be something as simple as one room having a tree outside providing shade and the adjoining room not having that benefit.

A single thermostat, however modern or elaborately outfitted with fancy features, simply cannot account for different needs in different parts of a house. It can only control the flow of conditioned air in the room where it’s installed – usually a living room or hallway on the main floor.

So when the temperature in that room reaches the preferred thermostat setting, the device will shut down the AC, furnace or heat pump. This is regardless of whether the finished basement or upstairs loft are comfortable. That’s great for that particular area of the house but what about the areas where the temperature remains too hot or too cold?

Zoning System to the Rescue

The good news is, a zoning system can address most of these issues in an effective and energy-efficient way. In a zoning system, the single thermostat that’s unreasonably expected to control temperatures throughout the home is replaced with two or more programmable thermostats that control ductwork to designated areas.

Each thermostat controls temperatures in a “zone” of the house whose rooms share the same heating or cooling characteristics. When a finished basement, for instance, has reached its set temperature for air conditioning, the thermostat for that zone will signal one or more automated duct dampers to stop the flow of air to that zone, while the rest of the house will continue to be cooled.

Typically, the best heating and cooling companies install zoning systems outfitted with centrally-located master control panels with programmable thermostats.

What Situations Are Best for Zoning Systems?

• Homes with two or more levels or floors. A fact of life in the HVAC (or any) world is that warm air rises. This is why basements tend to be cooler than the upper floors, and rooms on upper floors, especially lofts and finished attics, tend to get uncomfortably warm in the summer.

The sun beating down on the roof overhead all day may add to the increased heat in upstairs rooms. Basements are also susceptible to dampness, just from their proximity to the ground outside the foundation.

• Bigger homes. The larger the home, the more likely temperature variations will occur from one area to another. This reality is compounded by the fact that in larger homes, rooms that are farther away from the AC or furnace likely won’t be conditioned as effectively as rooms closer to the heating/cooling plant.

It’s unreasonable to expect one thermostat to consistently heat and cool a 3,000-square-foot home, even if it is all on one level. If this is your expectation, prepare to be disappointed.

• Homes with unique characteristics or with add-on rooms/sections. Many homes were built relatively small and received additions later. These homes, because of

1. different building materials,
2. insulation,
3. duct design or
4. other factors,

can benefit from a zoning system. Big rooms with vaulted ceilings may have different heating and cooling requirements than other parts of the house.

Pros and Cons of Zoning

The advantages of zoning systems usually outweigh the disadvantages. You’ll get consistent comfort throughout your house, so little sister playing in the finished basement will be just as comfortable as dad working in his attic loft office. Plus, you just might see more family harmony with less arguing over who controls the single thermostat.

Energy is saved as well, since you won’t have one thermostat sending conditioned air to rooms that aren’t being used.

One potential disadvantage is that in some homes, a zoning system can’t be installed without dedicated HVAC equipment serving each zone. That obviously is an expensive route to go.

If there’s one factor that discourages installation of zoning systems, it’s the cost of making that change. The good news is that the best professionals in the HVAC field will work with you to make this upgrade as inexpensive as possible. And the energy savings over time will defray much of the cost of installing a zoning system.

Even if you have doubts about the benefits of a zoning system in your home, it can’t hurt to talk to your trusted local HVAC company. They’ll be happy to explain how installing such a system can improve energy efficiency and create consistent comfort in your home.

As an Option, Consider a Ductless Mini-Split

An increasingly-popular alternative to a zoning system is a ductless mini-split heat pump or air conditioning system. These systems feature one outside compressor unit that serves multiple air handlers in the home.

These inside units provide independent temperature control in separate rooms or areas. Discuss your options with your trusted heating or air conditioning service provider in Cincinnati.