Your Guide to Zoned HVAC Systems

Do you want to lower your utility bills while precisely controlling the temperature of each room in your Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, home? If so, consider installing a zoned HVAC system. A zoned system helps keep you comfortable and may pay for itself in energy savings. Keep reading to learn more about zoned HVAC systems and whether you should consider having one installed in your home.

What’s a Zoned HVAC System?

A zoned HVAC system separates your home into specific areas or zones to help with heating and cooling. It uses motor-driven dampers in your ductwork to direct air to these different zones. This allows you to create customized temperature areas throughout your home, maximizing comfort and efficiency. Each zone is monitored by sensors, and you can control each zone with a thermostat.

Temperature Monitoring and Control

Zoned HVAC systems can use a multi-zone thermostat in one centralized location, or it can use individual thermostats in each different zone. Many homeowners choose a multi-zone thermostat so they can control every zone’s temperature from one location. However, if you choose multiple thermostats, you can still easily control any Wi-Fi enabled single thermostat system from your phone or another smart device.

Benefits of Zoned HVAC Systems

The main benefit of a zoned HVAC system is that you can heat or cool parts of your house only as often as necessary. For example, if your home’s second floor heats up too much in the summer months, a zoned system will cool down that area without also blasting the air conditioning downstairs. This results in a more comfortable home as well as decreased utility bills.

When installed properly, a zoned system uses about 30 percent less energy than a home with a traditional HVAC unit. Homeowners living in areas that get more extreme temperatures often experience even greater energy savings.

Is a Zoned System Right for You?

There are a couple of easy reasons your home would benefit from a zoned system:

Areas Sitting Empty

If you have areas of your home sitting empty for long periods of time, you should get a zoned system. Maybe you spend most of your time downstairs during the day while no one is upstairs. A zoned system would allow you to stay comfortable while minimizing energy usage.

Hot Spots

If certain areas in your home are frequently too hot or too cold, a zoned system would help. For example, in the hot summer months, your kitchen probably heats up quickly and would need additional cooling that you wouldn’t need elsewhere. A zoned system will respond by increasing cool air to the kitchen while leaving the rest of your home as-is. By heating and cooling only the areas of your home that need it, a zoned HVAC system uses less energy and experiences less wear and tear over time.

When to Install a Zoned HVAC System

It’s easiest and most affordable to have a zoned system installed when you’re building a new home. But, if you’re looking to zone your existing home, you could get your current unit retrofitted. If your HVAC unit has enough capacity, a licensed HVAC service technician can install the zoning equipment that will upgrade your system into a zoned one.

If your current HVAC unit doesn’t have the capacity, though, retrofitting won’t cut it. Your best option then would be to install a new unit.

If you’d like to learn more about the benefits of having a zoned HVAC system installed in your home, get in touch with the professionals at Warren-Hay Mechanical today. Call us at 843-492-0166 to see if we can install a zoned system for you.

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