Determining the type of heating and cooling system that is best for your house can sometimes be a little overwhelming. There are many options available for the consumer. One that you will come across frequently is a zoned HVAC system. Zoned HVAC is a single system that serves two or more zones in your home. This is contrasted to using two separate systems. Zoned HVAC systems utilize a component called a damper that allows you to control the temperature in each zone of your house. This is often done using a thermostat in each zone or a multizone main thermostat that has sensors in each zone.
If you are interested in switching to a zoned HVAC system for your St. Louis area home or business, give us a call at 314-993-1110. As a leader in heating and air conditioning in St. Louis, Galmiche & Sons can help you determine what system is best for you.
When is a Zoned HVAC System the Best Option?
Depending on your home’s layout and your heating and cooling preferences, a zoned HVAC system may be right for you. There are particular instances when utilizing a zoned system is the best option and others when having two HVAC units will be more beneficial. The following is list describes situations in which a zoned HVAC system is your best option:
- If you are building a new home
- You have areas of your home that are unoccupied for longs periods of time
- You experience large temperatures fluctuations or imbalance in parts of your home, as in one room is warm and comfortable, while another one is freezing
- Your current HVAC system is not already running at full capacity
Good and Bad Zoned HVAC Design
A regular HVAC system that is not zoned will heat or cool your house fully when running, regardless of your needs. This can be very wasteful, in some circumstances as it will be heating and cooling potentially empty rooms. HVAC zoning addresses this by allowing you to set the temperature in specific rooms or zones throughout your home.
Here are some characteristics of a well zoned HVAC system:
- Reduces the total system output, which lowers your bills
- System has two stages, 65% capacity and 100% capacity, thus reducing demand on your system
- Allows you to precisely heat or cool particular rooms in your home
- Ductwork is carefully split to serve different sections of the house
Common signs of badly designed HVAC zoning:
- Using a single stage system – This means that the unit can only run at 100% capacity, which causes a variety of problems throughout your system. Most importantly, this means that you will not experience the same energy savings, as the system is still running at 100% capacity even when only heating or cooling part of your home. Additionally, you may experience big temperature swings in your zones as the system only runs at full capacity.
- Using bypass ducts and dampers – These components are often used in zoned HVAC systems, but they can result in a number of problems and inefficiencies. For example, they often do not fully close, which means heated or cooled air is wasted in the bypass zone. Additionally, they tend to collect humidity, which can result in mold growth.
We Can Help to Determine if a Zoned HVAC System is the Right Choice for Your Home
At Galmiche & Sons, we are here to help take the stress out of finding the right heating and air conditioning system for your home. With over 70 years in the industry, we are proud to be known as the premier HVAC provider in St. Louis. If you have an HVAC question or would like to find out if HVAC zoning is right for you, please give us a call today at 314-993-1110.
