HVAC
HVAC zoning in San Antonio, TX

If you’re looking for a way to keep your home more comfortable in summer and lower your air conditioning costs, one of the best options is to upgrade to an AC zoning system. A zoning system breaks your house up into smaller zones and allows you to manage the temperature in each of the zones independently. In this article, we’ll provide an overview of how AC zoning works and what benefits a zoning system provides.

1. Improved Temperature Control

AC zoning systems work by using metal dampers that are located at various points in the supply ductwork. A central control board controls the system and receives signals from the thermostat located in each zone. When the temperature in a zone rises above the thermostat setting, the control board will receive a signal to open that zone’s damper so that the AC system starts cooling that zone. There will occasionally be times when all zones are open and the system supplies cooling to your entire house. However, the system will more often only cool a few zones at one time. That’s because not every zone will end up cooling at the same rate. Some zones such as those on the upper floors will also heat up more quickly. Other zones like the basement will remain cooler for much longer and thus won’t need to be cooled as often.

Multi-story homes often have major issues with their AC system keeping all floors and rooms at the same temperature. That means you’ll often end up with either the basement being colder than you want or the upper stories being too hot. This is because the thermostat is on the ground floor and can only detect the temperature of the surrounding air. Another extremely common issue is that rooms with skylights or large windows will always be warmer due to the increased heat gain they receive from the sun.

AC zoning is the best way to overcome all of the issues we just mentioned. That’s because you can keep each zone at whatever temperature you want and also because the AC will supply exactly the right amount of cooling to maintain the correct temperature in each zone. Zoning systems are also useful if you have issues with some people in your family liking it hotter or cooler. That’s because you can design the system so that each bedroom has a thermostat so that everyone can keep their bedroom at whatever temperature they want.

2. Decreased Air Conditioning Costs

AC zoning systems are usually variable speed, which means they continually adjust how quickly they run and how much cooling they provide based on the home’s temperature and how many zones are currently open. Standard AC systems can only operate at full power, which leads to them using lots of energy. Being able to adjust the speed that the AC compressor runs based on the home’s current cooling needs greatly reduces energy consumption. That’s because the compressor doesn’t use nearly as much electricity when it’s operating more slowly. The system also has a variable-speed blower that has much lower energy requirements except during the rare times when the system is operating at full power.

Variable-speed systems can also be just one zone, meaning they supply cool air to all of the house whenever they’re running. This type of single-zone variable-speed system will still use much less energy than a single-stage (single-speed) system. Nonetheless, a zoning system will use even less energy. This is because it will almost always run at a lower speed since it won’t always have to cool every zone at once. You can also reduce your AC system’s energy usage even further by turning the temperature up in any zones you rarely use or those that aren’t currently occupied.

3. Better Humidity Control

All air conditioners help to combat indoor humidity by removing moisture from the air circulating through the system. The way it works is that moisture ends up condensing on the evaporator coil because the coil is cold enough to decrease the temperature of the air down to its dew point. The problem with standard central AC systems is that they usually never run long enough to keep the humidity in a home as low as you want it to be.

AC zoning systems work much better at controlling indoor humidity. The reason is again that zoning systems are variable-speed systems. A variable-speed zoning system will often end up running continuously and only shutting off on occasion. The fact that the system can slow down ensures it uses as little energy as possible while the much longer cooling cycles allow it to remove much more moisture from inside the house.

By keeping your home less humid, a zoning system will also make it feel more comfortable. No matter what the actual air temperature in your home is, you’ll always feel quite a bit hotter if your house is humid than you would if the air were drier.

4. Reduced Wear and Tear on Your AC System

Another major advantage of AC zoning is that it can greatly reduce the wear and tear on the compressor motor and the system’s other components. This is because the compressor motor doesn’t experience the same amount of strain when running more slowly as it does when operating at full power, and the same is true for the variable-speed blower motor. Another factor is that the system won’t turn on and off a few times an hour as a standard AC system does. The reason this matters is that all of the motors in an AC system are under much greater strain when starting up. This is especially true for standard AC systems because the motors have to immediately start at full speed, whereas the motors in a variable-speed zoning system start up running much more slowly.

Turning on at full power is extremely hard on any type of motor. One way to think about this issue is like driving your car. If you just slam on the gas and try to go from zero to 100 as fast as you can, you’re putting a huge amount of stress on your car’s engine compared to just gradually increasing your speed.

The fact that AC zoning systems don’t experience the same amount of wear and tear means they usually develop fewer issues. That means the repair requirements are usually less and also that zoning systems typically have a longer life span than standard AC systems.

Air Authority, A Riteway Service Company is a locally owned company offering expert residential and commercial air conditioning, heating, and indoor air quality services throughout the San Antonio area. Our NATE-certified technicians have years of experience designing and installing AC zoning systems, and we can help ensure that your zoning system meets your home’s specific cooling needs. We also specialize in air conditioning repairs and maintenance and are ready to help if you need any type of heating service as well. Contact us today to set up a consultation so you can determine if AC zoning is the right choice for your home or business.

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