Home AC Zones: How Do They Work?
Is someone in your house constantly messing with the AC thermostat? Maybe one family member wants the temperature to be higher, and suddenly everyone else is sweating? If you’re struggling to find the perfect temperature in your home, worry no more. Art Plumbing, Air Conditioning & Electric has the answer to all your temperature problems in the form of zoned household AC systems. Here’s how zoning works, and why you should install a zoned system in your home today.
What Are AC Zones?
An air conditioning zone ranges from a single room, a section of a house or even an entire floor. How you zone your house is completely up to you, it’s easy to create specialized zones comprising of single rooms or large areas. At Art Plumbing, AC & Electric we recommend using the following AC zones:
Different Floors
If you aren’t planning on creating different zones on each floor of your house, we highly recommend at least splitting each floor into its own zone. Top floors are often hotter than ground floors because they are closer to hot roofs and because hot air rises, requiring additional cooling.
Specialized Rooms
If you have specialized rooms in your home, such as a personal gym, we recommended turning these rooms into their own AC zones. Nobody needs an extra reason to sweat while they’re working out.
Sun-Lit Rooms
Everyone loves rooms with big, open windows, but the reality is that these rooms often get hotter than the rest of the house. Rooms with large windows allow lots of sunlight in and often need additional cooling.
How Does AC Zoning Work?
Zoned air conditioning systems work differently depending on whether you have a duct or ductless AC. Ductless systems are automatically zoned, while HVAC units that utilize ducts require additional work and zoned HVAC installation.
In order to control the amount of cold air directed into each zone, a zoned AC system uses electronic dampers. Dampers are like little valves strategically placed throughout your ductwork, controlling the amount of cold air that flows into a room. These dampers are either controlled by a central thermostat or multiple thermostats placed in different zones. The dampers will change the amount of conditioned air allowed into a room depending on the temperature selected on the thermostat.
Pros of AC Zoning
Comfort
One of the biggest pros of introducing a zoned AC system to your home is comfort. Inevitably, someone will always want the heat to be just a little higher than the rest of the house. With zoned AC everyone can control the temperature within their preferred zone, insuring that your family members are happy and comfortable. No more fighting over the AC!
Energy Savings
Normal air conditioning units that are used to cool an entire house can be very costly. By introducing zoned air conditioning into your home, you won’t have to pay unnecessary electricity costs to cool unused rooms. In fact, you’ll only have to pay for the cost of cooling rooms you choose. To ensure that your zoned HVAC continues to save you money, remember to contact Art Plumbing, Air Conditioning & Electric to maintain your zoned air conditioning system.
Cons of AC Zoning
Price
Installing a zoned AC system is slightly more expensive than installing a large unit to cool an entire house. However, this additional cost is quickly overtaken by the money saved on energy bills.
Lost Air
Critics argue that, even with dampers opened fully, zoned AC systems aren’t as efficient as traditional ductwork. If a zoned system is installed correctly – in particular, if the bypass duct is properly installed – the impact of installing dampers in your ductwork will have a negligible effect on your overall AC functioning.
When it comes down to your comfort and the comfort of everyone in your home, no matter their AC preferences, it’s a good idea to install zoned AC. If you have any questions about zoning your home, or you want to put an end to those arguments over the ideal household temperature, contact Art Plumbing, Air Conditioning & Electric for a quote.
