Use Zone Control to Make Your Air Conditioner More Efficient

Monday, May 16th, 2016 at 11:00 am

With summer getting into full swing in a few weeks, people are scrambling to make sure that their air conditioning systems are ready for the added stress. Preventive maintenance and prompt repairs can ensure that your air conditioner is in good shape for the summer. However, there is another way that you can make your home both more comfortable and your AC more energy efficient. Let's examine zone control, and the benefits that it can provide.

Zone Control

A zone control system involves installing a number of dampers in the ducts of your home, splitting them up into different zones. The dampers can be opened or closed to direct the flow of air through the ducts, and each zone has its own thermostat installed inside it. Each thermostat is wired to the dampers that make up its zone, as well as the climate control systems. When a thermostat detects a need for air conditioning, it opens the appropriate dampers and turns on the system. This enables the air conditioner to condition part of the home without affecting the rest of it.

Advantages of Zone Control

One of the biggest disadvantages of using a central air conditioning system is that it only has two modes: on and off. Normal central AC's cannot modulate their output for different parts of the home. Since each room in the home is insulated slightly differently, it will warm up or cool off faster than others. A central AC creates hot and cold spots throughout the home because of these differences in insulation. A lot of energy is wasted on empty rooms, as well. A zone control system eliminates this problem by allowing your air conditioner to change how much output it sends to each area of the home. This will make your home more comfortable, and your air conditioner more energy efficient.

American Heating & Cooling installs zone control systems throughout Pikeville, KY.