Air-Driven Zoning Technology: Why Arzel® Puts its Trust in Pneumatic HVAC Zoning

For homeowners and businesses alike, finding the most effective way to heat and cool their property is essential. That’s why Arzel® is trusting in pneumatic zoning—an air-driven zoning technology to control the temperature in different parts of the home or building. This blog post will explore why Arzel® is confident in this air-driven zoning technology.

Some technicians will ask, “Why Pneumatic” when zoning a central heating and cooling system. The image they have in their mind is commercial systems that use high-pressure airlines and air-driven thermostats commonly found in hospitals and similar buildings. They think it’s old-fashioned or “old school,” a pain to service as it needs large compressors and specialty training to understand.

However, Arzel® Zoning’s air-driven dampers are the core of our pneumatic zoning solutions. There’s no accurate comparison in answering the question of Arzel® low pneumatic vs. motorized vs. high-pressure pneumatics. It’s apples to oranges.

Arzel® dampers provide flexibility and reliability. Instead of complex gears, a bladder inflates and deflates based on vacuum or pressure. With fewer moving parts, there is less potential for failure, providing outstanding reliability.
Flexibility is also found in simplicity, and small air cylinders fit places mechanical gearing doesn’t. Our unique fit dampers, such as the EzyFit® or Inserta®, can be installed where it would be impossible with traditional motor-driven actuators, making Arzel® the best choice for retrofit.

The ability to zone what was before impossible creates additional revenue streams and a competitive advantage. The flexibility means less mess to your customers’ homes, and the likelihood of needing to cut drywall to install traditional zoning is reduced, often eliminated; without expensive home remodeling, it becomes an easier proposal.

The simplicity of our air-driven solutions makes it, so specialty tools aren’t needed; technicians can use common tools on their trucks today. Low pressure can easily be diagnosed with a digital manometer that reads at least 40″ w.c. +/-. The low-pressure airlines are a simple barbed compression fit that doesn’t require anything other than fingers (no glue or solvents, no thread sealant, nothing messy).
The simple airlines are faster, cheaper, and easier to install than the copper lines typical of the high-pressure pneumatic system. The same can be said about low-voltage cabling with traditional zoning systems.

Flexibility also means more dampers with less hassle – Each stock Arzel® panel can support up to 35 actuators spread across two zones, three zones, etc. Up to eight zones can be supported, but contractors are advised to avoid micro or small zones – Read more on why we don’t recommend micro zoning in a previous blog on What is the Big Problem with tiny zones?

24vac panels, on the other hand, require relay panels to support that number of dampers and beefy transformers.
Additionally, unlike traditional pneumatic systems, specialty thermostats aren’t required. Standard 24-volt thermostats stocked on technicians’ trucks will do, meaning no additional truck stock is needed.

Pneumatic zoning is one of the most reliable HVAC zoning technologies available, and it offers several benefits to anyone looking to optimize their heating and cooling system. To recap, pneumatic zoning, specifically the low-pressure pneumatics that Arzel® offers, provides the following benefits:
• Easy Installation
• Less Mess
• Reliable Long-Life operation
• Flexible Options with unique fit dampers such as the EzyFit® or Inserta®
• More Dampers for Less
• Common Tools of the Trade (Digital Manometer, Digital Volt Meter, Hand Tools)

Pneumatic isn’t old-fashioned or complex; it is the solution to simple or complex ducting, finished and unfinished basements. The benefits mentioned above for contractors are why we trust pneumatic technology.