What Are Zone Control Systems?

Some like it hot!

Others, not so much.

If you have a large home with multiple stories or a large household with family members who prefer different temperatures, consider installing a zone control system.

A zone control system—or zoning—only provides the necessary cooling or heating that each zone in your Montana home needs at the time. It not only adds to the comfort level of your home but can also lower your energy bills.

At Design Air, we always look for ways to improve the comfort, health, and safety of homes and businesses in Missoula and surrounding areas. Your heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system is a significant purchase—a big part of our job is to help ensure you get the maximum value from this investment.

How Do Zone Control Systems Work?

To create a zone control system, our experts will place dampers in the ductwork that distributes hot or cold air throughout your Missoula home. Each zone you create  is equipped with a thermostat that connects to a central control panel. When you adjust the thermostats in each zone, the control panel opens or closes dampers to distribute hot or cold air where needed.

Working with our team, you create the size and location of each zone throughout your home or business. You can turn one room into a zone, or an entire floor. The zones should be areas that either have different temperature requirements or have specific areas that have had trouble maintaining temperature compared to the rest of a zone.  

Whatever you decide, you can count on Design Air to help you achieve the most comfort in your home that comes with a zone control system.

Zoning Options

Installing a zone control is a money saver since it lessens the load on your HVAC system. Your furnace or air conditioner no longer has to struggle to heat or cool every room in your home. Here are some ideal zoning situations:

• Homes with rooms that are hardly used
• Home with concrete slab foundations, large windows, or high ceilings
• Finished rooms in the attic or basement
• Homes with multiple floors or intricate floor plans

Reducing the stress on your HVAC equipment extends the service life of your entire system. It also lowers your monthly utility bills. According to the US Department Department of Energy (DOE), heating and cooling your home accounts for upwards of 40 percent of your energy costs.

How do I know if I need a zone system?

Most homes can benefit from a zone control system. If your home has any areas that are uncomfortable compared to the rest of the home or you have different temperature requirements throughout your home, this system may help.

Larger homes with multiple systems also see huge benefits from a zone control system because there is no reason to heat or cool the home to a comfort level when some areas are not being used. Only maintaining a comfort level in occupied rooms can generate huge energy savings.

Many programable thermostats also have WiFi features so you can monitor and adjust the heating or cooling in the home; only the necessary energy is being used when no one is at home, or when people are only using certain rooms at certain times of the day.

These are significant utility savings that can occur while also increasing your home comfort!  You will save money and make everyone in your home happy!

What If I Close Off Vents?

Our customers will occasionally ask if they can achieve the same result simply by adjusting the slats on the air vent covers. The answer is no.

Closing or partially opening a vent restricts the amount of air that exits the ductwork—but does not cause an air conditioner or furnace to produce less cold or hot air. By comparison, the zone control system not only redistributes airflow by operating dampers but also controls your HVAC equipment, signaling it when to run and when to stop. This eliminates unnecessary energy expenses.

Using air vents as a substitute for zone control may also contribute to air leakage and low airflow, among other problems. Those adjustable slats over air vents are designed to direct the flow of air into a room, not block it entirely. 

Call Your Zone Control Experts Today!

Schedule an appointment today to learn if a zoning system can benefit your Missoula, MT, business or home. At Design Air, we take great pride in building longterm relationships with our customers. We want to earn the chance to be your trusted source for all your heating and cooling needs. Call 406-251-7997 or request service online today to learn more about zone control systems and other services.