Airboss or HeatPumPro? Which is Right for Your Home?

When choosing a zoning panel there are 3 main questions to keep in mind, how do you want the staging of the HVAC equipment achieved, how many zones will the designed system have, and what built-in features are applicable and important for the application. In our blog, we will dive into these 3 questions and the key differences between the Airboss and HeatPumPro panels operation.

Both the Airboss and HeatPumPro will be able to control any standard 24v controlled HVAC equipment from the most basic single-stage conventional through two-stage dual-fuel applications. The key difference is how the panels receive the calls from the thermostats and the response they deliver.

AirBoss® Zoning Panel

The Airboss sets complete control of the systems staging on what the thermostat calls for and the panel follows the lead and outputs accordingly. For example, if your thermostat calls for second stage heat, the panel would output for the second stage to your HVAC equipment.

This is beneficial for customers that like to utilize high-end thermostats to track fuel usage, energy efficiency, and know exactly how their equipment is operating day by day.

HeatPumPro® Zoning Control

The HeatPumPro takes this a step further and removes the staging from the thermostats giving the panel complete control. One of the key features of the HeatPumPro panel is the ability to utilize just single stage heat/cool thermostats for any application with the panel providing up to 4 heat 2 cool on the outputs. The panel just needs a heat, cool, or fan call from the thermostat, and with a combination of run time and leaving air temperature (LAT) readings the panel delivers the desired call the most efficient way possible.

How many zones will be used in the space?

This is an easily answered question but changes drastically on a case-by-case basis. The key thing to keep in mind when designing a system is to not microzone or create zones that are too small as it can be detrimental to the HVAC equipment.

How to design an Arzel Zoning system

We encourage you to take advantage of our virtual Comfort College class on Proper Zoning System design offered online, the next scheduled class is on March 19th, 2021, CLICK HERE to reserve your spot.

Which panel is best based on zone configuration?

The HeatPumPro comes in a 2,3 or 4 zone configuration which suits it perfectly for the residential market as most homes fit well within these parameters. The Airboss however can be optimized for the cases where more zones are needed with 2,3,4,6, and 8 zone configurations being available.

Both of the panels can take advantage of our Alone zone feature as well that can be added to increase the zone size, but these zones cannot physically activate the HVAC equipment and rely on any other zone to call before equipment operation is activated.

What features do your customers need?

The final question is what key features are important to the application and would benefit your customer’s needs the most. As previously mentioned, the Airboss relies on the thermostats and has less logic built into it but does come with a few key features. It comes with a Leaving air sensor giving you temperature limits for high and low limits with no secondary controls needed.

It also comes with incorporated 2nd stage heat and cooling delay timers that can be utilized instead of two-stage thermostats. It also features a ‘’Master Zone Switch’’ or ‘’Set back stat’’ terminals that can be utilized in the commercial atmosphere in the instance when all occupants leave for the day, all equipment controls can be reverted to zone # 1’s thermostat allowing for energy savings.

The HeatPumPro on the other hand is a different animal packed with features to get the most energy efficiencies out of the HVAC equipment. It comes with built-in LAT ‘’leaving air’’ and OAT ‘’outside air’’ sensors and settings that allow you to control Resistance heat lockouts, and Heat and Cool stage thresholds that affect the equipment staging.

The HeatPumPro also allows you to set the desired zone weight or percentage of ductwork on each zone while allowing an AH threshold setting or percentage of the ductwork opened before the HVAC equipment can call for second stage operation. This allows you to utilize smaller zones while eliminating or decreasing the size or need for a bypass. For a more in-depth run-through of all the built-in controls on the HeatPumPro, you can sign up for one of our free webinars anytime.

Contact Us

Figuring out what panel is right for you is a simple enough question when you know what your customer’s desired results are and what features and benefits are important to them. If you need help with application design or anything else, please contact us at techsupport@arzelzoning.com or at (800)611-8312.