How to Add Heating Zones to Your Home This Winter

Since wintertime’s right around the corner, one must give their heating strategy some good thought (besides thinking about pipe winterization). You probably would’ve been better off thinking about it earlier, but it’s never too late to make your home a safe haven from the coldest season. Okay, so how does one add heating zones to their home before winter knocks on the door? Well, you’re seconds away from finding out. In the article you’re about to read, we’ll show you everything you should know about how to add heating zones to your home this winter and how it can make your home more cozy and warm. Therefore, stay tuned for some pretty valuable info!

What is zoned heating?

So, here’s the thing: zoned heating represents a system in which your home is broken into different areas known simply as zones. Each of them is controlled separately by a thermostat. What’s it good for? Well, this kind of action will enable you to get rid of hot and cold spots inside your home, among other things. It will level your heating in a very pleasant manner. Okay, so let’s check how it functions!

Here’s how it works

So, the crucial element of the zoned heating systems represents the electronically-controlled dampers placed in your ductwork. They act like valves that can manage the flow of heated (or cooled) air inside your home. Also, the thermostat plays a significant role here since you’ll need to place it in each zone of your home to control the dampers, as mentioned above. Once an area (or a zone) inside your place requires more air from your heater, the thermostat will signal the damper to open up a bit and let more air pass through. Similarly, once a zone has reached the desired temperature, the dampers will shut off and emit air to the rest of your place.

Reasons why you’d want zoned heating inside your home

We can separate the reasons into two:

• More even temperature distribution throughout your home. With a zoned heating system, there are no areas inside your home that are either too hot or too cold. Most homes, especially two-story houses, have issues with uneven heating. This is why zoning is very important if you have a multi-story home.
• Caring for different comfort preferences of your family members or roommates. With a zoned system, there’s no fighting over the control of the thermostat. A person is able to modify the temperatures inside a room they’re residing in without changing the temperature of other areas inside the house.

Oh, and we almost forgot. Here’s what the folks over at bestmovers.nyc have to suggest: zoning your heating system will most probably influence your energy bills in the most satisfying manner. You’ll see that in the following paragraphs. 

How to add heating zones to your home this winter?

Okay, so now that we’ve considered the so-called basics, it’s time to answer the main question this article has proposed.

The best way to handle this is to reach out to professionals. They’ll install zones to your home’s heating system without much hassle. Your zoned heating system will consist of three major elements:

• Zone control panel. We’re talking about the central element you’ll use to control the system, as it communicates between your home’s thermostats, dampers, and other HVAC equipment. It’s something you’d want to call “the brains behind the operation.”
• Thermostats. These devices read the air temperature inside your home’s room (or zone). Once the temperature in the room (or zone) is too cold or too hot to your preferences, the thermostat will send a message to the main control panel to either push the cold or the hot air in its direction.
• Zone dampers. The so-called zone dampers will modify the airflow to some rooms (or zones) of your place, and they’re also wired to a specific zone on the main control panel. As we’ve already said, the latter is controlled by the thermostats. Lastly, the dampers will open and close to what the thermostats are “saying.”

As we’ve mentioned, your best bet (also your only bet) is to count on the help of professionals for this. However, we might want to take a look at a simpler solution which is, of course, a DIY one.

How to zone your heating system the DIY way

This strategy differs much from the system we’ve described above. It’s probably the easiest zone heating plan out there. It’s all about using electric space heaters. Also, its main objective is to heat a single zone, not the whole house. Okay, so how it’s done? Let’s see the steps.

Step #1

The first thing that you’ll want to do is to turn the thermostat down on your main heating system. Here’s the thing: for every degree that you eliminate on your trusty thermostat, you’ll save about 3% on your heating bill, which, you’ll agree, isn’t a small percentage. For instance, once you set the temperature on your thermostat to 67°F or below, you’ll most probably begin to see some nice results. 

Step #2 

Next up, you’ll want to place electric space heaters in the most used rooms. Out of many types and models of space heaters, choose one that matches your personal preferences. 

Step #3 

If you’re dealing with a forced air heating system inside your place, make sure you don’t shut off the doors and heat registers in the rooms you’re not using, as that can cause some harm to the ducts and furnace. 

Step #4 

Lastly, don’t forget to turn off the heaters once you exit the room. Not only will this keep you safe, but it will save you some funds on your energy bill. 

Final thoughts on the subject

Okay, folks, so that’s about it when it comes to this little tutorial on how to add heating zones to your home this winter. We’ll take our chances and say you’re ready to handle the upcoming wintertime cold. By following the things we’ve mentioned above, you’ll ensure that you and other home inhabitants enjoy a downright cozy winter.