Zoned Air Systems

Take a moment to think about how the lighting in your home works. Imagine if you had one master lighting switch that controlled the whole home with a single flip. You might only need the light of a small lamp, but every light in the house would come on at once. It wouldn’t make sense, right? The amount of energy that would get lost in this process would be nothing short of overwhelming, which is exactly why you shouldn’t be controlling home heating and cooling in such a way. Many Berkeley, El Cerrito, San Rafael, and surrounding area homeowners don’t realize that there is another option, and it can be found in HVAC zoning.

What is HVAC Zoning?

HVAC stands for heating, ventilation and air conditioning, and refers to the systems within your commercial building or residential home that heat and cool (condition) the space. HVAC zoning is the process of creating different “zones” throughout the home that each get treated differently with conditioned HVAC. What this means for the modern homeowner is the ability to independently control each zone in the home, rather than having to rely on the same approach to heating and cooling throughout. For those who do not have their homes zoned in such a way, the second floor can become extremely hot when attempting to heat only the first floor, which is certainly not an efficient way to heat a home.

When you have your home zoned, you can make your first floor comfortable while allowing the second floor to stay at its current temperature. This ability to heat floors independently means never having to deal with undesirable temperatures or knowing that you’re not exactly getting the most out of energy efficiency when heating or cooling your home.

Why “Zone” Your Home?

When it comes to HVAC zoning, it’s important to take a close look at all of the benefits that can result from this home performance upgrade. HVAC zoning saves you money because it allows you to use a smaller system to heat or cool individual areas in your home. These include:

• Whole Home Comfort – Comfort is one of the first things to get affected when you’re heating or cooling your entire home at the same time. A home that is properly zoned, however, will promote true, whole home comfort that can be adjusted at the touch of a button.
• Improved Home Performance – Home performance is not something that any California homeowner can afford to take for granted, yet it does fall by the wayside when we are either too busy or don’t know what to look for. Zoning your home is an excellent way to improve home performance not just temporarily, but for many years to come.
• Lower Energy Bills – Heating your home in the winter or cooling it in the summer are both necessities, but there’s no getting around the fact that they can add up in overall costs. Everyone wants to lower their energy bills, but some people don’t know where to start. HVAC zoning is a perfect starting point, and you’ll see the differences within your first few bill cycles.
• Right Size Equipment - HVAC zoning allows your system to heat or cool a smaller area, instead of the entire home. This means you can reduce the size of your system, which will reduce your energy bill and improve efficiency.
• Ability to Serve Multiple Floors: With just one system, you can efficiently manage heating and cooling for multiple floors or larger spaces. This reduces the amount of equipment needed and, in turn, reduces maintenance requirements.
• Increased Efficiency: Zoning ensures that only the spaces being occupied are heated or cooled. If you or your family don't use certain rooms during specific times, there's no need to heat or cool them. When the system only needs to condition a portion of the home, it runs at a lower capacity, using less energy.
• Decreased Noise at the Outdoor Unit: The outdoor unit will rarely need to run at a higher speed when it's only conditioning a section of the home. This leads to quieter operation of the outdoor condenser.

Understanding these aspects will help you make the most of your new system, ensuring both comfort and efficiency in your home.

HVAC zoning doesn’t have to be confusing. Let Hassler show you the way. Contact us today to learn more and to schedule an appointment.