Compared to installing a separate, small HVAC system to supply conditioned air to challenging spaces, or retrofitting ductwork—a costly endeavor—installing a zoning system requires a much smaller investment, but it gets significant results. How can you tell if you need a zoning system? The clues lie in your home’s comfort levels, energy bills and more. Here’s how to tell just when you need a zoning system installed in your Asheville home.

• Comfort issues – A home whose design features a room with a large window expanse is pleasing aesthetically, but it’s often not a very comfortable room. That’s because windows—even if they’re fairly efficient—aren’t as efficient as a well-insulated wall. Compared to a room with standard-sized windows, a room with large windows holds a larger cooling and heating load, which one duct system and HVAC system can’t address.
• Energy bills – Does your home feature a space to accommodate an open floorplan that groups a kitchen, dining area and great room together? Keeping this space comfortably heated or cooled requires more energy, as it’s higher heating and cooling load calls for more conditioned air than other spaces in your home.
• Home design – Homes with two stories are often difficult to heat and cool, because warm air rises. As a result, the heating and cooling loads differ between floors. Keeping the second floor cool in summer requires a larger volume of air than the first floor and results in higher energy costs. Homes with a remodeled space, featuring more efficient building materials, will hold a lower heating and cooling load than the original home. Maintaining energy efficiency and comfort in both spaces proves a challenge.

A zoning system resolves problems in challenging spaces. With the home grouped into zones with similar loads and individual thermostats controlling dampers in the ducts, you can direct more cooled air into your great room, while the dampers to other zones close. You’ll pay only to provide additional cooling where it’s needed.

If you suspect that you need a zoning system, contact Smoky Mountain Heating & Air today and talk with our experts about your home’s challenging features.

Our goal is to help educate our customers in Asheville, North Carolina and surrounding areas about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems).

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