If you have a central heating unit, have you ever noticed that some parts of your home stay warmer than others? You might be perfectly comfortable in your bedroom but chilly in your bathroom. Or upstairs might be warm while your basement is freezing.
Even if you’re using a programmable thermostat, the temperature in specific parts of your home might be hard to control. One of the best ways to fix this problem is to install a zoning system.
What is a zoning system?
As the name implies, a zoning system allows you to control the temperature in different “zones” in your house. Depending on how your home is built and how the heat is distributed, you could benefit from zoning two or more sections of your house. Homes are commonly zoned by specific rooms, floors, additions, and more.
How does a zoned heating system work?
A zoning system uses mechanical dampers to control whether or not heated air is allowed into a zone. When the dampers are open, heated air is let into the zone to warm it up. When the dampers are closed, heated air is kept inside the ductwork and continues to the next zone.
Every zone in a zoning system is controlled by its thermostat, each of which is wired to a central control panel. When a zone in your home needs to be heated, its thermostat will tell the control panel to open its dampers. When that zone has reached its desired temperature, it will tell the control panel to close its dampers.
Your furnace will remain on until all of the zones in your house have reached their desired temperatures, at which point it will shut off.
As you can tell, a zoning system will not only allow you to have complete control over the temperatures in your home but will also allow your furnace to run more efficiently by targeting only the areas that need to be warmed.
If you have any questions about zoning systems, or would like one installed in your home, contact Jerry Kelly Heating, Air Conditioning, Electrical and Plumbing, your St. Louis area heating and cooling company.