Stay Cool And Save Big: HVAC Zoning Tips For The Hottest Month In Texas

HVAC Zoning is designed to help people with larger or multilevel homes effectively and efficiently heat or cool every area of their home.

With an HVAC zoning system, you can program your home into zones and control the temperature in each area of the home. Each zone will get its own thermostat and when you adjust the temperature settings, the thermostat will send a message to the central panel for that zone’s temperature to be adjusted. Your HVAC unit will then do all the work, pushing air through your ductwork that is guided by HVAC zoning dampers (valves directing the airflow) into that specific zone. 

This gives you control over the air flowing into each area of your home and allows you to set different zones to different temperatures depending on your needs.

HVAC zoning systems mainly benefit homeowners with multilevel homes or homes with high ceilings, many windows, or rooms not frequently used. With the added ability to adjust the temperature settings in specific zones, you’ll be able to end disputes over thermostat settings while also saving on energy costs. 

Having more control over how much air is being circulated into the different areas of your home will help you regulate your energy use. Some rooms are harder to cool or heat than others due to outside factors like increased sunlight. When your system doesn’t have to work as hard to level out the temperature across the whole home and instead focuses on one space at a time, you’re able to cut back on energy use which will help lower your overall electric costs.

Not sure if your home meets the specifications for an HVAC Zoning system? Call the HVAC technicians at MyHome.Pro today and we’ll help you determine which system will best suit your needs.

Having an HVAC zoning system is a great way to start your journey toward a more efficient home but there are a few tips you may want to keep in mind to make sure you’re getting the most out of your system.

By following these simple HVAC zoning tips, you’ll be able to effectively use your zoned HVAC system to optimize your energy usage, reduce your utility bills, and create a more comfortable living space for you and your family.

Take advantage of your programable thermostat and set it to your schedule! One of the biggest perks of zoned HVAC systems is that you can program your thermostats to follow your daily routine and account for the impact that the time of day has on the temperature inside your home.

If you work from home, then you can program the thermostat in the zone you work to a cooler more comfortable temperature while keeping other areas leveled out. If you commute to work and no one is home during the day, you can program your thermostats to be a few degrees warmer. The sun naturally warms up your home during the day so setting the areas that experience high levels of sunlight to a higher temperature will keep your AC from having to run at unnecessarily high levels. Around 15 minutes before you come home you can then set the air to the temperature you prefer in the zones you frequent, this way you’ll be welcomed home with fresh, cool, and clean air. 

It may take some time to find the best temperature for each space, but once you do, you can set your schedule and never have to worry about it again – or at least until the next season arrives.

Even though your zoned HVAC system is built to be efficient, make sure to continue practicing good energy-saving techniques like keeping your doors and windows closed. 

Open doors and windows can force your system to have to work harder. This is a common problem in the summer. If you open a window to let in a warm breeze, be sure to adjust your thermostat so it’s not working overtime to keep your space cool. One of the perks of having a zoned HVAC system is that a window open upstairs does not mean you have to adjust the temperature settings for the downstairs level as well. 

While most people like to close the windows and doors and let the AC pump in the summer, with zoning, you can still enjoy some fresh air every now and then without putting extra strain on your system.

You can also avoid unnecessary energy loss by ensuring that your doors, windows, walls, attic, and basement are properly sealed and insulated.

Weather stripping is a great way to keep heat and humidity from entering your home. This will also keep your cool air from escaping out of gaps in your windows, doors, and other potential entryways. Properly insulating your home will help you make sure that no zone is being overworked because your system isn’t able to balance out the temperature in the space.  

Sealing and insulating your home will help your HVAC system keep you cool in the summer months and warmer in the winter months without increasing your utility bill.

Regular HVAC maintenance is what will keep your system performing at its best through every season. The general rule of thumb is to perform HVAC maintenance twice a year — once in the spring and again in the fall.

This is a step on your home management list you won’t want to skip. By regularly scheduling time for professional HVAC maintenance, you’ll be able to catch small problems before they turn into something much worse. You may even notice that with your zoned HVAC system, there could be fewer repairs needed over time. This is because your zoning system allows you to regulate more of your system’s usage and if it does not have to work as hard to meet your needs, the amount of natural wear & tear decreases along with your need for repairs.

Homeowners who stay on top of their HVAC maintenance are able to save money in the long run by not having to deal with frequent repairs or avoidable issues that could eventually lead to an early replacement for your system.

Our final tip for staying cool and saving money on AC in the summer is to upgrade your HVAC unit to an energy-efficient model. The minimum standards for HVAC units’ energy efficiency were raised at the beginning of this year which means there are models out there built to help you get the most out of the energy being used. When you pair that with HVAC zoning, not only will you have more control over your comfort levels but you’ll also be one step closer to having an energy-efficient home that is actually saving you money! 

Don’t know what you need? Schedule an appointment with MyHome.Pro to determine the best energy-efficient HVAC model for your home.