| Zoning
divides your home into separate comfort equipment cool or heat only
areas that need conditioning. For example, a living room with large
windows may stay too hot in the summer and too cold in the winter. A
zoning system will send more conditioned air to the living room, to
make up for the heat gained or lost through the windows.
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Today's
families have different lifestyles and comfort needs. Maybe you have a
home office that needs extra conditioning during the day, and none at
night. Or you only use the upstairs bedrooms when guests visit.
Whatever your needs, zoning can keep each area of your house at the
perfect temperature for you and each family member.
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| If
you are replacing your air conditioner, furnace or heat pump, it is an
excellent time to install a zoning system. When your new comfort
equipment is matched with a zoning system, you will hav precise
control in each zone. Houses that had been nearly impossible to keep
comfortable are a thing of the past.
Zoning is also excellent for new
homes, since it is installed during construction. If you are buying a
new home, check with your builder about a zoning system. It could make
the difference between enjoying your new house and being truly
comfortable in it! |
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Installing more than
one comfort system can work to keep temperatures comfortable, but
multiple systems are expensive. Typically, in a two-story home, one
comfort system is installed for the downstairs, and one for the
upstairs. This way, when hot air rises, the upstairs unit can keep it
cool upstairs, even in the summer. And in the winter, the downstairs
unit can keep that area warm.
Zoning uses only one
comfort system to control the temperature for each zone. Installing a
comfort system with a zoning system costs quite a bit less than
installing two systems, and the yearly maintenance is also less
expensive.
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| In
almost all zoning systems, zoning is controlled by thermostats in each
zone. For instance, if you have four zones in your house, you will
have four thermostats. Depending on your zoning system, you may have a
choice of thermostats. With separate thermostats, each zone signals
the heating or cooling unit independently. This lets the system
deliver cooling or heating only where it is needed. You will never
have to cool or heat the whole house just to make one room
comfortable. |
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Zoning can
drastically lower your cooling and heating bills. Zoning systems can
use setback thermostats in each zone to make the most of energy
savings. However, in zones rarely used, electromechanical thermostats
make sense because you can set them at energy-saving temperatures and
forget about those areas of your home. No more closing registers or
shutting doors with each seasonal change.
A good example of
this is a guest room on the north side of the house. You do not want
to condition it like the rest of the house, but in the winter, it
needs to be kept from freezing. With zoning, you can set the
thermostat back, and know you are not wasting money. And you have
peace of mind, knowing the bedroom will not get cold enough to freeze
pipes.
Another way zoning
can save money is when you are not at home. When you leave for work or
vacation, you can set the whole house at an energy-saving temperature
to avoid conditioning an empty house. And if you have setback
thermostats, you can program them to have your living areas
comfortable when you arrive home.
As you begin using
your home more and in varying ways, as a home office, for example,
zoning will become more important. Also, the energy savings can really
mean a lot with a zoning system. Ask your Lennox dealer how you can
make your home more comfortable than ever!
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