Let’s say you have a central air conditioner in your house that distributed conditioned air into your home. Even though a central air conditioner or a centrally operated heating unit like a heat pump or a gas furnace is an inexpensive way to ensure heating and air conditioning in your house, they are definitely not the most convenient ones. This is where Zoning comes in.
What is Zoning?
Zoning is just the process of splitting the HVAC system of your home into several zones or areas. In this process, you achieve master control over the individual zones. In short, Zoning makes it easier to control the heating and cooling of each individual room or area of your house.
Why do people zone their existing HVAC system?
1. Convenience
The main reason why you would want to zone your air conditioning units or heating system is the convenience that comes with it. Let me explain.
When you zone your HVAC system, you can stop heating and cooling for a particular area of your house. For example, say you are going to bed and don’t need heating and air conditioning in your kitchen and living. You can turn it off with your zoned HVAC system. You don’t have to go to each room to shut off or change the temperature settings on the individual air conditioners, or you don’t have to change the setting of your central Air conditioner completely. You can do it from your bedroom – convenience at its best.
2. Comfort
For the same reason, you can make comfort more comfortable. What I am trying to explain is – since you can control the environment in individual areas of your home, you will be comfortable all the time. For example, say you are in the kitchen and the temperature is set by someone else in the living room. Since the temperature in the kitchen is higher, it needs a slightly different temperature setting. And this can be done with a zoned HVAC system. That means – comfort of heating and air conditioning is made more comfortable.
3. Efficiency
When you zone your HVAC system, you’ll have individual control over the zones. So, if any particular zone in your home is not occupied by your family members or guests, you can turn off heating and air conditioning for that particular zone, ensuring no produced air from your HVAC system is wasted. This way, your HVAC system only runs for as long as it takes to heat or cool the selected zones, ensuring minimal energy use. Thus, you do not spend more on utility than you need to, and your HVAC setup becomes more efficient than ever.
Can closed vents be considered as zoning method?
In short, the answer is NO. I’ll explain why in the next section.
Closed vents don’t save energy
Before someone else writes to me about how stupid I am to even think close vents are really efficient, let me clear the air.
Basically, what I said was closed vents are the conventional way of saving energy, and it is a fact. People to this day consider closed vents as a Zoning method. But honestly, closed vents zoning method is a myth. There is no efficiency with closed vents.
Why?
Let me explain. The reason is – when the air vents for your central air conditioner in your home is designed, it is designed keeping the whole area of your house in mind. So, when you are thinking of closing the vents where you don’t want heating or cooling, the amount of heated or chilled air in the air ducts isn’t decreasing; they are all the same. By closing the vents, instead of increasing efficiency, you are increasing the pressure in the air ducts, which will eventually force the air to get back to the air conditioner and this is not good.
It might even increase the infestation of molds in duct, thus requiring mold removal or air duct cleaning services to be called at your home. And we all know Air Duct cleaning cost is not free. So, what your closed vents are doing to you is just wasting your money and decreasing the life span of your HAVC equipment.
Since it has been established that closed vents are not an efficient zoning method, let’s talk about Approved Zoning methods.
Approved Zoning Methods
Rather than closing or shutting vents in the home, introducing an entire home zoning system is liked. A zoning system usually works with the home’s heating and cooling hardware instead of against it by shutting vents. The contractor-suggested & approved zoning strategies utilize a system of thermostats and dampers alongside a zoning board. Zoning permits free control of the temperature all through the home.
Contractors lean toward entire home zoning methods over shutting vents in particular are or room since this procedure works with your home’s heating and cooling system. The Zone dampers introduced inside the home’s ductwork control airflow into the zones in your house. The zone dampers channel molded air into the correct regions. Sidestep dampers take out the development of pressure that can happen with shutting vents to forestall system damage.
How to Zone your existing HVAC system?
Zoning can be separated into two types. The first one is Zoning while your building is under construction. The second one is retrofitting the HVAC system later to get the advantages of zoned heating and cooling setup.
But the components you need are quite the same. All you’ll need is a control panel, dampers, thermostats and wires to get the whole thing done.
Are you looking for Air Duct Cleaning company? Do you live in Dallas and Fort Worth are?
Micro Clean DFW is just at your doorstep. We offer complete air duct systems and services, including cleaning packages. No matter what type of Air Duct cleaning you require, Micro Clean DFW will be there to help.
Mold in ducts? Call us for Mold Removal. Need complete Air Duct Cleaning? Call us, and we will be there with our professional and experienced team. And don’t worry about the Air Duct cleaning cost, we offer the best service at the best rates.
Besides, you can give us a call for any type of ductwork like Air Duct replacement, Air Duct maintenance and services, etc.
See a relevant infographic here – 3 Reasons to Zone Your Existing HVAC System [Infographic]
