FinancingShould I Install a Zone Control System in My Home?
A zone control system enables you to direct the heating and cooling where it is needed most in your Arizona, Idaho, Nevada, Texas, California, New Mexico home.
With zoning, you can set various temperatures throughout your home simultaneously, which allows you to save money on energy bills and fulfill more than one comfort preference in your household.
You can accomplish zone control by adding a system of dampers to your ductwork that will open and close to adjust the level of heating and cooling you want in each section of your home designated as a zone.
If your home lacks ductwork, you can achieve zone control by installing a ductless mini split system.
Carrier Cooling Center can guide you along either route and help you attain the zone control system that best suits your heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) goals. The HVAC experts in our network of Carrier Factory Authorized Dealers are well-versed in zoning heating and cooling systems.
Click our Find A Dealer button to locate a Carrier dealer in Arizona, California, Idaho, Nevada, New Mexico, and Texas.
Selecting Zones with Ducts
Your first step in planning a zone control system is creating the various zones in your home:
- Some homeowners designate each floor, from the basement to the attic, as a zone that receives its own thermostat.
- You can identify zones in your home based on north- and south-facing rooms.
- Or place underused sections of your home in one zone and high-use areas in another.
- A room with big, sun-welcoming windows and another built on a concrete slab might constitute two separate zones.
A Carrier dealer can guide you through the process and recommend a zone configuration for your home, but you make the final decision.
Installing Zone Control
Before installing your system, your Carrier dealer will inspect your ductwork to ensure it is in top shape. According to ENERGY STAR®, cracked, damaged ductwork can lose 20 to 30 percent of the air flowing through them. Your technician can seal and repair your ducts before installing a zone control system.
During installation, the technician will strategically place dampers in your HVAC ductwork corresponding to the zones you create in your home. Each zone has a thermostat that connects to a control panel.
How Zone Control Works
When you raise or lower the temperature in a zone, your thermostat interacts with the control panel. The controller opens or closes dampers in that zone to admit or restrict the heated or cooled airflow.
For example, you might set lower temperatures in a bedroom zone and hike the heat in your dining and living rooms. Your furnace or air conditioner will turn off when it achieves all desired temperatures and kick on again as needed.
With just one thermostat, you heat or cool your home at the same temperature and cannot adjust the output to address hot or cold spots. With zone control, you decide how much heat or air conditioning you need throughout your home. You save on energy and utility bills.
No Ducts? No Problem
A ductless mini split consists of an outdoor heat pump and one or more indoor units that house an evaporator coil and a fan that blows hot or cool air into the surrounding area. You can hide the indoor units in the ceiling, mount them to the wall, or station them on the floor.
Each has a temperature controller, enabling you to vary comfort preferences from room to room.
Mini split systems are a zoning solution for homeowners who want room-by-room heating and cooling control. If you plan to build an addition to your home but do not want to extend ductwork to the area, or your ductwork is beyond repair, and you choose not to replace it, a mini split will give you zone control without ducts.
Zone Your HVAC System Today
Let Carrier Cooling Center help you find an expert HVAC team to install a zone control system in your home. Our Carrier network includes dealers in Arizona, California, Idaho, Nevada, New Mexico, and Texas.