Arzel Zoning
How can you increase energy efficiency for your customers with forced-air zoning? There are many variables you could tweak. One of those is the thermostat. We put together our most effective thermostat hacks for HVAC zoning systems here. For example, many smart and programmable thermostats offer more advanced system flexibility than traditional thermostats. They can accomplish both enhanced comfort and reduced operational cost for the equipment.
Our first thermostat hack for HVAC zoning systems is to set a schedule on the thermostat. Nowadays, smart and programmable thermostats allow you to set a schedule. With zoning, you can use the thermostat schedule to take advantage of times when zones are not being used. Use temperature setbacks in those zones and you can save up to 10% on energy, according to energy.gov. Why? When you set back areas that aren’t being used, you’ll reduce equipment runtime. Our advice is to keep zones comfortable when they are occupied, and set them back when they aren’t. All Arzel zoning panels are compatible with any 24-volt thermostat, including smart and programmable thermostats.
This table shows the ENERGY STAR recommendation for temperature setbacks. These temperatures are based on programmable thermostats with at least four changeovers (wake, day, evening, sleep). Use it as a guideline to program temperature setbacks that work for your customer.
Note that you won’t find the ENERGY STAR label on thermostats anymore. They stopped labeling programmable thermostats in 2009. That’s probably because the amount of energy that programmable thermostats can save varies a lot. It all depends on how you use them. ENERGY STAR still seems to agree that these thermostats can save significant amounts of energy, but homeowners have to use them in the right way. That’s where you come in. Informing homeowners about how thermostat programmability can save energy is critical in the continued effort to lower their HVAC costs and increase environmental benefits.
HVAC Equipment runtime can be further optimized by reducing or eliminating over-conditioning. Just installing zoning is half the battle. With a traditional HVAC system, there’s only one thermostat. When the second floor gets too hot, the user will turn the thermostat colder. If the second floor reaches the desired temperature, the first floor is too cold. This scenario not only wastes energy cooling an area that’s already comfortable. It may not even be able to get the second floor comfortable. Zoning fixes this comfort issue by giving users separate control of the temperature in each zone.
But you still need to think about thermostat placement. Follow these guidelines when you place the thermostats:
Choose thermostat location wisely for an accurate representation of zone temperature. Rooms that are larger and occupied more often, such as a master bedroom, may deserve a thermostat (zone) of their own. If you opt not to make this type of room its own zone, unoccupied spaces in the home may be over-conditioned to achieve comfort in that room.
For rooms that are smaller and used less frequently, we recommend the opposite strategy. Combine these rooms, and install a centrally located thermostat. Just make sure the rooms you combine have similar comfort patterns.
We hope you’ve found these thermostat hacks for HVAC zoning systems helpful. Taking advantage of temperature setbacks and placing the thermostat strategically does two great things at the same time. With these solutions, you’ll enhance comfort while reducing the operational cost of the equipment. Your customers will be delighted that they are more comfortable and saving money at the same time.
To learn more about maximizing the comfort of your customers, be sure to watch our training on the 5 rules of zoning application design. You can also call our technical support line 7 days a week, at 1-800-611-8312.
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