A home thermostat is typically a single unit in a house or apartment that is capable of being programmed with different temperatures for different times of the day. A home with a temperature zoning system expands on this with multiple sensors in various locations that allow for different areas of a home to be set to different temperatures at different times of the day.
Keep reading to learn how installing a temperature zoning system in your home can save energy and money, and make you more comfortable in the process.
Flexible Heating and Cooling
Image via ecobeeThe purpose of a zoning system is to provide temperature control to multiple areas of a home. This is a way to keep specific areas of a home heated and cooled based on preference.
The benefit of this system in a home is the ability to focus heating and cooling in specific areas, such as a family room. A room in a home that isn’t being used, or that is already at the desired temperature, can have no heating or cooling when a zoning system is in use.
When you want to begin heating or cooling the unused room again, it’s as simple as turning it back on – no need to mess arond with opening and closing vents in different areas of the home.
Not only does a temperature zoning system offer you the ability to set different rooms to different temperatures based on your family’s personal preferences (say mom likes it warm, dad likes it cool), but you can also ensure you’re not using energy to heat or cool a part of your home that isn’t in use.
Custom Temperature Control Means Energy Savings
The ability to customize temperature control for specific rooms means that less energy is being used. A homeowners can set a specific temperature for a bathroom and kitchen, while not affecting temperature zones in other areas of the home.
Multiple thermostats or sensors in a home allow for precise temperature control by using energy only when heating or cooling is necessary.
A Home Will Have Consistent Temperatures
A regular thermostat blows air to every room in a home through the registers, while zone control blows air in a specific zone when heating or cooling is necessary.
In comparison, a home with a standard thermostat will have areas that are always cooler or warmer than others. This is typical as a regular thermostat can only be set at a single temperature setting.
Homeowners who do not use certain areas of their home during specific times of the year can easily close off any unused zone. Closing zones in a home is a good way to further reduce energy use because money is not being spent to heat or cool these areas.
Resolve the Battle of the Thermostat
via ecobeeHot weather during the summer often results in upstairs rooms being warmer than downstairs rooms. A zone control system provides custom temperature control for ultimate comfort. This means that cool air can be used in one zone while other zones may be turned off.
You can take your zones to the next level and have specific zones triggered by schedules or activity. For example, if you want your office heated during the daytime hours and bedroom heated at night, a regular schedule will make the transition seamless and require no action on your part.
Alternately, the addition of motion sensors can allow you to have on-demand heating or cooling in the specific area of the home that you’re in at any given time.
The air provided for only those rooms that are in use will cost much less than cooling a room using a single thermostat located in another area of the house.
Additional Information
You can plan your zones, schedules and temperatures in advance, but the installation of a temperature zone control system should be done by a qualified HVAC technician. Unless you have some secret talent for heating and cooling systems, you’ll want to ensure your zone control calibration is done properly, and ensure that your controls are matched with the correct zone.
If you’re a homeowner looking for a way to be more energy-efficient at home, then implementing a temperature zone control system is a great way to cut down your energy consumption.
Editor’s Note: This post was originally published in January 2014 and has been updated for freshness, accuracy, and comprehensiveness.
