With energy prices rising in the Decatur, Alabama area and beyond, you may be wondering how to keep your costs lower during the hotter months. Air conditioning is a must for comfort and health from June to August, but sometimes keeping your home or business cool can come with unpleasant energy bills.
Modern technology is coming to the rescue, however. Zoned air conditioning is one new way for homeowners to manage growing energy costs and reap savings.
The Definition of Zoned AC
Zoned air conditioning is exactly as it sounds. Such a system is a single AC unit capable of treating two or more sections of a home or other building separately. Each of these “zones” can be controlled by the user using a central control.
With zoned AC, you can decide to cool just one or two rooms of your home at a time, such as a bedroom or home office, while leaving unused rooms without air conditioning. This has the obvious benefit of allowing you to use only as much cooling as you need throughout the day.
How It Functions
Zoned AC is not to be confused with mini split systems, in which one or more AC units cool specific rooms of your home. Split systems don’t use air ducts, while zoned AC requires them, as it stems from a single heating and cooling system.
To control the flow of cool air to each room of your home, zoned AC uses dampers installed into your duct system, near each branch. These dampers can open or close, allowing or cutting off air flow to each section.
Dampers are controlled from a central thermostat. In some cases, thermostats can be installed in each section of your home, allowing users to control the comfort level for each area, individually.
Combining Energy-Saving Powers
Using a zoned system also helps you heat your home more effectively, leading to energy savings year-round in Decatur AL. On average, you can expect to shave 30% from your HVAC bill each year by switching to a zoned system.
To reap maximum rewards, using programmable thermostats with your system will help you determine where and when to turn a zone’s temperature up and down. Such a setup will remove the burden of manually changing temperatures through your home.
Multiple thermostats can also monitor the temperature in each area of your home, allowing the system to keep each room as you set it.
Taking the Leap
Though the initial cost of switching your forced-air AC to a zoned system can be high, the savings will make your investment pay for itself over the course of a few years. A professional is needed for such a complex task.
The good news is that dampers can be installed in existing ductwork, lowering the amount of labor needed. You’ll also need to have multiple thermostats installed—one for each zone—to make your system work as it should. Dampers come in round and square shapes and are flexible so that they can block or allow airflow.
Contact Us Today
If you’re thinking of making the switch to a zoned AC system, you’re not alone, and the savings can help your system pay for itself. Be sure to reach out to us at Southeastern Mechanical Services, right here in Decatur AL, if you have any questions.
