Do you feel like each winter is consumed by a constant battle to get your entire home to a comfortable temperature? There are some basic physics that you’re fighting against here–heat rises, so often when you finally get your downstairs feeling good, your upper floors feel boiling hot. And certain rooms get a lot more direct sunlight, which can also throw things off. The end result is often a lot of wasted energy–if you have to crank the heat to get your downstairs to where you want it, all of that energy flowing to the already-warm upstairs is wasted. And of course you’ll see that reflected on your energy bill. An answer to this conundrum can be creating heating zones in your home.
Fix the Root of the Problem First
One thing to consider before you dive into creating heating zones, though, is checking your home for proper insulation and sealing. In some cases, the temperature imbalance in your home is caused by factors beyond the basic laws of thermodynamics, and creating heating zones will only be masking the larger problem of leaky seals or insufficient insulation.
Creating Heating Zones
Once you’ve figured out why you’re experiencing a temperature imbalance and made sure that you’ve fixed any other issues with sealing or insulation, you can start setting up your heating zones. The first step to creating heating zones is installing additional vents into your duct system. Each zone has its own thermostat, and these are connected to a central control panel that tells the vents when to open and close in each zone. This allows you to accurately gauge temperature in each zone as well as to adjust the heat output. Heat zoning can be done in older homes (unless there is restricted access to ductwork) or new builds, and there are more and less high-tech solutions. You can use systems like Nest to help program the zones, too.
We are happy to come give you a complimentary consultation on whether heating zones are right for your home and whether there are other sealing or insulation issues that should be addressed first. Give Dan a shout at 720.876.7166 or [email protected].
