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Zoning: The Good, Bad, and the Ugly.

Zoned systems should give the user independent control of the temperature in different areas of the home (or zones) that are controlled by various thermostats spread throughout the space. A well designed zoned system will operate flawlessly and boost the efficiency and de-humidification capabilities of an HVAC system. A poorly designed zone system will shorten system life, cause compressor failure, create uncomfortable and noisy areas in the home, and cost the user more to operate. Unfortunately, in our area poorly designed zoning systems far outnumber the amount of well designed zoning systems.

 

Several years ago, building codes changed to no longer allow a two-story homes to have one thermostat controlling the whole house. This was a great advancement in building codes. Unwillingly, builders were now forced to spend more money on a new home's HVAC system. We now have the issue of untrained installers being responsible for installing complicated zoning systems. This created a lot of issues. There are zone systems in this area that are "fake" zone systems. They depend on a master thermostat to bring on the system, only allowing the secondary thermostats to work when the main zone is on. There are also systems without a second thermostat at all, just a damper position switch. The large majority of the systems are missing bypass dampers and duct temperature sensors. We have also seen zones that are less than 20% of the system capacity, causing a great imbalance of air flow. It is a big mess, and most contractors either don't have the ability to solve the issue, or see it as unprofitable.

We are zoning system experts. Our technicians are competent and trained in various types of zone system setups. We don't shy away from complicated systems or systems with multiple issues. We seize the opportunity to solve issues for homeowners that can actually improve the comfort and quality of life of our customers.

If you are interested in zoning your home, or have a zoning system that doesn't work properly, don't hesitate to call. We can solve your problems, and we can design a system that will exceed your expectations.

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