In the 1970s, it became common for new homes to be built with ductwork that distributed the air from the new central air conditioning systems throughout the homes. It was as revolutionary as central heating! Home comfort was within our control.
However, central AC systems do have one weakness. They distribute the cool air throughout the whole house, with only one thermostat, providing one level of cooling. Is there a way to have more control over the temperatures in different parts of your house? Yes! Let’s discuss some great zone control options.
Ductless Systems
For homes that are older and were built without ductwork, or for homes with ductwork so damaged that it is unsanitary or extremely inefficient, transitioning to a ductless system might make sense. Air handlers are installed throughout the home, often in up to four places, and they each have their own thermostat. There’s no need to argue about different preferences in different people’s rooms, or pay to keep the whole house at the perfect temperature when there’s only one room occupied all day.
Central HVAC Zone Control
But what if you have ductwork, and it’s in good condition, and you want to continue to use that system? Is there any way to have the control that ductless systems offer without transitioning to a ductless system? Yes. Central HVAC zone control in Drexel Hill, PA is the answer.
To install a zone control system, your ductwork must be modified. Technicians will assess the layout of your home and ductwork and cut into that ductwork in carefully-selected spots to add dampers. A damper is like a door that can be opened and closed, allowing airflow through a certain section of duct or blocking that airflow off. Now the room or area that is heated and cooled by that duct is its own zone, and the damper can be controlled via thermostat to adjust the temperature precisely within that zone.
Homes can be separated simply into two zones for the upstairs and downstairs, or into more zones to have more precise control over specific rooms or areas. A technician can make recommendations about your zone control options based on the layout of your home and ducts and the way your family uses the various spaces in your home.
Saving Money with Zone Control
While it can be lovely to have your whole home just as cool or cozy as you’d like it to be, heating and cooling costs make up a huge portion of your utility bills. If you aren’t using that whole space all the time, you can cut costs dramatically by being more selective about your heating and cooling. Let’s look at some examples.
Perhaps you work from home. In July, cooling your whole home to a comfortable 70°F, all day, every day, would be very costly. If you could cool just the zone that contains your home office, and let the rest of the house be a little warmer, your energy bills would drop considerably.
How about bedtime? If you have a baby who cannot sleep safely in a pile of blankets, or a pet who requires a consistently warm environment, you may have been keeping your whole home very warm all night long throughout the winter. With zone control, you can keep those rooms at just the temperature they need to be, without paying to keep your entire home that warm.
If this sounds intriguing to you, please reach out to have a chat with one of our technicians! We’d love to tell you all about how zone control can benefit you.
Reach out to Murphy’s Plumbing, Heating & Air Conditioning today to schedule an appointment with our professionals. It’s always “Integrity Before Profit.”
