A thermostat may control the temperature in your house, but who gets to control the thermostat? If you find yourself having to constantly reset the thermostat after another family member changes it, or if you have parts of the house that are consistently too cold or too hot, you may want to look into having a zoning system installed.
A zoning system allows everyone to be comfortable, in all parts of the house, by decentralizing temperature control. Instead of controlling the entire house with just one thermostat, each part of the house has a separate thermostat. And instead of the HVAC system heating or cooling all parts of the house at the same time, a zoning system directs the airflow only to the parts of the house that need it. It is almost like having a separate furnace and air conditioner for each room -- but without the expense, as it works with your existing central HVAC equipment.
Zoning therefore provides several benefits:
- More accurate temperature control. Sunlit rooms may need more air conditioning, while north-facing rooms might require more heating. Zoning systems adjust for each zone's particular needs, so that you no longer have unwanted temperature differences between areas.
- Energy savings. With programmable thermostats in each zone, you can choose to heat or cool each area only during the hours they are occupied. You do not have to pay to heat the whole house when there is only one person at home, in one room. Plus, since the HVAC system is not constantly trying to heat or cool the whole house at once, it can often run at a slower, more energy-efficient speed.
- Family harmony. If someone prefers for their room to be a few degrees warmer or colder than what everyone else wants, having their own thermostat gives them that option, without bothering the other members of the household.
To learn more about zoning system options for your Massachusetts home, contact Rodenhiser Plumbing, Heating & Air Conditioning. We have 80 years of experience serving the Route 495/128 area, and would love to add you to our list of satisfied customers (if you're not already on it).
Our goal is to help educate our customers about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). For more information about other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Solutions Guide.
Temperature zoning image via Shutterstock