zone heating with furnaces, ac and other central systems

You may get energy savings by home zoning, that is, by implementing different temperatures for different areas of your house, according to schedules and specific needs. And you may get it by using furnaces, central air conditioners or other HAVC system.

If you intend to install a furnace, heat pump, or a boiler or other HVAC system in your home, or upgrade your heating system, consider multi-zone heating and cooling for improved comfort levels and lower energy bills. You can easily save up to 30% in your energy bills.

Multi-zone heating

Most multi-zone heating systems involve two or three zones, and rarely more.

The goal of a multi-zone heating is to restrict the supply of the warm to the areas of the home where it is really needed, in the amount and in the schedules previously defined, instead of sending the same amount of conditioned air into the entire building. That’s a way of getting more comfort and energy savings.

Home zoning based on thermostats and duct dampers

Multi-zone heating can use a furnace, a heat pump or other central heating system (including hydronic systems based on boilers and radiators). It also requires a set of thermostats (one for each zone) and a set of motorized zone dampers (in the case of forced air systems) or valves (in the case of hot-water based systems).

Home zoning and dampers

Duct dampers are a key element of multi-zone air heating systems. They are installed in the ductwork and open and close as needed and according to the thermostat settings.

Home zoning and valves

In the case of hot waters systems (based on boilers and on radiators and baseboard or radiant floor heating...) instead of duct dampers you will have to use automatic zone valves, installed on your baseboard/radiators.

Thermostats and multi-zone heating controller

The temperature in each heating zone is controlled by its own zone thermostat, electrically connected to a control panel (multi-zone heating controller) operating the dampers or valves of your air heating system.

If only a room thermostat calls for heating or cooling, only the correspondent duct damper/valve will be open; other dampers will remain closed, and the areas where they belong will not be heated or cooled.

Obviously, the heating system can also be switched on or off as a whole, with all the thermostats and dampers/valves switching on and off simultaneously.

Installing a multi-zone heating system

Installing the control panel, the thermostats and the dampers or valves is a relatively easy task that any good heating professional can accomplish. The system can be installed on existing homes, but it is in new and conveniently designed buildings that the system is more effective. In fact, a good layout, and a good sealing and insulation of the different zones is very important to avoid some flaws and to get maximum comfort.

Prices

Upgrading an existing heating system to a multi-zone is in itself relatively cheap. The system – the control panel, the dampers/valves, the thermostats – may cost something around $1,000 - $1,500 (a two or a three zone system).

Obviously, plumbing or insulation and sealing works to support the system can make it much more expensive (namely if new doors are needed, to isolate the different areas).

Manufacturers and customer reviews

Aprilaire and Honeywell are the most well-known manufacturers of zone heating systems.

For customer reviews on heating zone valves and heating zone dampers, see Amazon.com: Dampers and valves