The Role of Smart Thermostats in Zoning Systems
A zoned HVAC system is a great investment that will make a major difference in how comfortable your home is and how much you pay to heat and cool it. This type of system enables you to control the temperature settings for various parts of your home independently so that each area stays exactly as warm or cool as you want it. In this article, we’ll explain how zoned HVAC systems work and show you why smart thermostats are always the best option for a zoned system.
Understanding How Zoned HVAC Systems Work
Traditional central HVAC systems are just a single zone, which means they always supply heating or cooling to every part of the home at the same time. In a zoned HVAC system, the home is broken up into multiple smaller zones so that you don’t always need to heat or cool the entire house at once. This is done by installing metal dampers at different points in the duct system and using multiple thermostats to independently control the temperature in each zone. Each of the dampers can automatically open and close as needed to allow air to flow to the specific zone or block off the airflow.
If you have the temperature set higher or lower in one zone than the others, the HVAC system will continue supplying heating or cooling to that zone until it reaches the desired temperature. If any of the other zones are above or below the desired temperature, the damper for that zone will open so that it also receives heating or cooling. The thermostat in each zone will also signal the damper to close once the zone is at the correct temperature. The HVAC system will shut off whenever all zones are at the desired temperature and then only run as needed to maintain the correct temperature in each zone.
Having a zoned HVAC system provides several great benefits compared to a traditional single-zone system. One obvious benefit is that it will help to keep your energy bills much lower. With a zoned system, you’ll only need to heat and cool the different zones as needed instead of having to heat and cool your entire house. This means that your HVAC system won’t need to run nearly as often and will thus use much less energy. A zoned system will also keep your home much more comfortable and make it easy to overcome any issues with cold or hot spots. The fact that your HVAC system won’t run as much or need to work as long can also help to increase its life and reduce the need for heating and AC repairs.
Benefits of Using Smart Thermostats in a Zoned HVAC System
With a zoned system, you will always need some type of programmable thermostat in each zone. While standard programmable thermostats will work, using smart thermostats is always the much better option. Smart thermostats are obviously much more convenient since you can control all of them using an app on your mobile device. That said, the main reason that smart thermostats work much better in a zoned system is that they can work independently without any input.
Most smart thermostats are designed to work alongside motion sensors. This means that the thermostats will automatically detect if a room is occupied and close the dampers to any unoccupied rooms to save on energy. Once you enter a room, the thermostat will then change back to the normal temperature settings so that the HVAC system immediately starts heating or cooling that zone.
Smart thermostats can also learn from your behavior and then adjust their programming accordingly. For instance, if you only use your bedrooms for sleeping, the thermostat will automatically turn the heating in your bedroom up or the AC down in the morning. It will then again adjust the temperature in the evening so that your bedroom is at the desired temperature by the time you go to bed. If one zone suddenly starts getting hotter or colder than the rest of the home, the smart thermostat in that zone will automatically adjust the settings and turn your HVAC system on without you needing to do anything.
Many smart thermostats can also continually monitor the outdoor temperature and use weather forecasts to adjust the temperature settings in each zone accordingly. This helps to greatly improve comfort and also contributes to lower heating and cooling costs.
With 45 years of experience, you can trust Alps Heating & Air Conditioning, Inc. for all of your HVAC needs in Anaheim. We can help if you want to upgrade to a zoned HVAC system, install smart thermostats in your home or need any heating or AC repairs, installation or maintenance services. No matter what kind of HVAC service you need, contact us to get the reliable, trustworthy help your home deserves.