Think Your Home Could Benefit From A Zoning System? Here's How To Tell

Zoning systems offer many benefits to homeowners, including customized cooling and heating throughout the home, lower utility expenses, and less wear and tear on HVAC equipment. If you think your home could benefit from a zoning system, keep on reading.

Is a zoning system right for your home?

Zoning systems use a network of thermostats and automatic duct dampers to independently control the amount of airflow each zone receives to reach customized temperatures. Many factors should be considered when deciding if your home could benefit from a zoning system. These are common situations:

Homes with room additions, sunrooms, home offices and retrofits
Single-level homes with intricate floor plans
Multi-level homes (temperatures on upper levels are often 10 degrees warmer than lower levels)
Homes with significantly different solar properties throughout
Homes with cathedral ceilings
Homes with areas that have abundant window space
Landscaping design needs that should be considered, as well, for heat gain/loss in a home

Designing your zoning system

It’s never a bad idea to conduct an energy evaluation of your home, and use that information to seal it up prior to designing and installing your zoning system. This ensures the most efficient system possible and saves you energy and money. Some basic rules when designing a zoning system:

For homes with two or more levels of living space, each zone should be grouped on the same floor. Warm air rises, which would compromise a zone with rooms and/or areas on multiple floors.
Sun-facing rooms and rooms and areas that receive little sunlight should be zoned separately.
A minimum of two air-supply registers are needed in each zone to allow ample and efficient airflow.
Thermostats (or sensors for a central thermostat) should be installed on inner walls away from direct sunlight, access doors, appliances, air-supply registers and windows. Install programmable thermostats for added convenience and energy savings.
The automatic duct dampers are best installed at the trunk and branch connections for free airflow through the duct system.
Room additions should be designated to a separate zone, as they are often constructed of different building materials.

For more information on how your home could benefit from a zoning system, please contact us at NisAir Air Conditioning & Heating serving Palm Beach, Martin and Indian River counties. We’ve diligently served South Florida homeowners since 1973.