Summer is the season to avoid looking at your electric bill. We all know that once the AC goes on, the expenses go way, way up. But, it doesn’t always have to be that way!
This article will talk about zoned air conditioning and how it can save you energy and money. In particular, you can save a bundle while making your home much more comfortable by switching over to a mini split system.
But that’s getting ahead of ourselves a little. Let’s start from the beginning!
In this article, we’ll cover:
- What Is Zoned Air Conditioning?
- Benefits Of Zoning Your AC
- Adding Zoned Cooling To An Existing System
- Best Way To Create Zoned HVAC
- Mini Split Installation In Boise, ID
And, if your Treasure Valley home needs a comfort or efficiency upgrade, reach out to us at Snowflake Air. Starting with a free consultation, we’ll help you find the perfect solution for your home, needs, and budget.
What Is Zoned Air Conditioning?
Zoned air conditioning is when you air condition each room or area (or “zone”) of your home with a separate unit and thermostat. It’s the opposite of central air, where you have a thermostat controlling one system that treats the entire house with a one-size-fits-all approach.
If you’re thinking, “Hey, that’s what I do with my window units,” well, you’re not wrong. That’s certainly an example of zoning your AC: Each room you treat has a separate device. You can set them all to the same temperature, put them on different settings, or even leave some off altogether when you don’t need them.
But, we’re taking things a step further by providing more efficient, comfortable, and quiet AC. And adding heat in the winter as well. You can even supplement an existing central system if you want.
Case Study: Ductless Adds more Comfort To Master Bedroom In Eagle, ID
Best Way To Create Zoned HVAC
The best solution for creating zoned HVAC in your home is by using a ductless mini split. You’ll get the power of a central system, but with more customization, enhanced comfort, and better efficiency.
Plus, you don’t have to drag window units in and out of storage. A mini split gets permanently installed.
You can read more about how these work in our article here. For this topic, the main idea here is that you connect air handlers in each room (or zone) to a heat pump outside.
The heat pump takes care of sending heat into the house while the indoor units treat and circulate the air in each zone. And, every air handler has a built-in thermostat.
This way, you can create as many zones in your home as you want! Maybe the house is mostly comfortable except for the master bedroom. No problem! Add a single-zone system with one indoor unit at that spot.
Or, keep going until your entire home is treated this way. Each heat pump can handle up to eight indoor units, so you’ve got plenty of room to grow.
As the name implies, ductless heating and cooling doesn’t require ducts and vents. It’s easy to install and doesn’t change the look and feel of your home with too much equipment or infrastructure.
Case Study: Ductless Heating And Cooling In A Century-Old Boise Home
Benefits Of Zoning Your AC
We’ve outlined the “how” when it comes to zoned AC. Now let’s talk about the “why.” Here are three great reasons to consider this strategy:
- Better Comfort
- Lower Energy Bills
- Conserving Energy
Better Comfort
With zoned cooling thanks to a mini split, your home will be more comfortable than ever before. Not only will you have more control over the temperature in each room of the house. The air handlers also do a better job of circulating air than pretty much any option out there.
Case Study: Ductless Mini Split Ads Heat & AC To Second-Floor Loft
Lower Energy Bills
The faster you get each room to the temperature you want, the less time your system has to run. That means using much lower electric bills in the summer than with window units or even a central system.
On top of that, the heat pump and air handler system is more efficient overall. It gets your home cooled faster and then switches to a low-power mode to maintain that temperature.
Case Study: Ductless Mini Split Upgrades South Emmett Duplex
Conserving Energy
We mentioned low-power mode in the last section. You might think that means the system uses more energy because it runs almost all the time. Instead, the opposite is true.
Cruising along in low-power means using less power than clicking on full-blast a few times every hour to correct the climate inside when it gets too hot. It takes more energy to get the machine started up over and over again than to let it ride.
Adding Zoned Cooling To An Existing System
You’d never consider adding a window or portable AC if you already have central air. But adding maybe a single-zone mini split in that problem room makes a lot of sense. A ductless system can “top off” your central heating or air in a space that’s never cool or warm enough.
That makes them even more attractive: you can get heat in the winter from them as well! Depending on the heat pump you choose, your mini split can replace a conventional furnace entirely.
But, that’s up to you — which is what makes these systems so attractive. You can treat a single room in the summer or overall the year-round climate control for your entire home. It’s all about what solution best suits your needs.
Case Study: Ductless Heating And Cooling Adds Comfort To Rustic Farmhouse
Mini Split Installation In Boise, ID
You can call Snowflake Air at (208) 205-9078 or click below for a free consultation about mini split installation in Boise, ID, Caldwell, Kuna, or anywhere in the Fox River Valley.
As Mitsubishi Diamond Dealers, we’re fully certified and especially knowledgeable about ductless heating and cooling. And, we have an excellent reputation for our work in the area. Reach out and find out more today!
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