During the chilly winter season in Raleigh, North Carolina, you may find that your home’s heating system isn’t delivering the targeted warmth you want for maximum comfort. If the heating system is making it hard to get warm in your own home, you may want to consider adding HVAC zoning. Zoned HVAC comes with a number of benefits, including a more comfortable indoor atmosphere, improved efficiency, and decreased energy bills.
Comfortable Indoor Atmosphere
HVAC zoning refers to using various add-ons to your system to improve airflow and provide targeted heating and cooling to a specific area. These add-ons might include dampers that you place within your vents to keep the air moving in a specific area while restricting it in another. It also includes ductless units that heat up or cool down a certain area of the house. An HVAC professional can determine which components will be the best additions to your home’s heating and cooling system.
Once the add-ons are installed, you can relax and enjoy a more comfortable indoor atmosphere. These add-ons will make it easier to set a specific temperature in each zone of the house. This is appealing if you like to keep your bedroom cooler for sleep while maintaining a warmer temperature in the sitting areas. You can set up as many zones as you want, although most homeowners opt for two or three. Separate thermostats and duct dampers work together to create the ideal atmosphere in each zone.
Improved Efficiency
When properly installed by an experienced HVAC professional, a zoned HVAC system can improve the efficiency of your home’s heating and cooling system. A traditional system has to produce and move enough air to warm up or cool down the entire house, which can be wasteful if you’re not using every room. Using the thermostat to alter the temperature in the zone that includes the rooms you’re currently using will maintain comfort while allowing the system to only move enough air for that area of the home.
Lower Bills
Another key benefit of HVAC zoning is lower monthly energy bills. Simply adjusting the temperature of a specific zone can reduce your home’s energy usage, keeping your costs under control. You don’t have to spend money to heat empty rooms during the winter months.
Zoned HVAC is especially cost-effective in multi-story homes. It is difficult to maintain a comfortable temperature across all levels because heat rises, so you end up spending more to heat up the lower level while the upper level gets overly warm. Creating a zone for each level of your home will give you more control over the temperature shifts, all while helping you maintain a handle on energy costs.
Healthier Air to Breathe
If you experience allergy symptoms, such as coughing, throat or eye irritation, sneezing, or congestion, you may be suffering from the effects of poor indoor air quality. Traditional HVAC systems use ducts to move air throughout the house, which can get overloaded with dust, dirt, pollen, pet hair, dander, and other contaminants. Regular duct cleaning services can reduce the presence of these allergens, but zoned HVAC can further improve the quality of the air you breathe.
Keeping the zones separate restricts how far these contaminants move through the ductwork, maintaining a healthier indoor atmosphere. If your zoned system also uses ductless HVAC to warm and cool part of the home, you don’t have to worry about the air traveling through dirty ducts.
Extend the System’s Lifespan
During the winter months, your heating system is under a lot of pressure. It has to work harder to produce warm air and distribute it throughout the entire house in order to maintain a comfortable temperature. HVAC zones alleviate some of the pressure that is on your system so that it doesn’t have to work as hard. The result is reduced wear and tear on the components, which can extend the overall lifespan of the unit and reduce the need for expensive repairs.
For more information about HVAC zoning and how it can benefit your home this winter, contact us at Cape Fear Air, Electric, & Plumbing by calling 919-246-5801.
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