Thermostats & Zoning: Master Your Home’s Climate

If you really want to master the climate and maximize the comfort in your home, your Carrier Factory Authorized Dealer has got your back! Thermostats and Zone Controls are simply a way of dividing a home into areas with similar heating and cooling needs, and works with your heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) equipment, allowing you to change the temperature in different parts of your home. Just like you wouldn’t have one light switch to control your entire home, zoning allows you to have the same flexibility with your temperature as you do with your lighting. It independently controls different areas of your home according to the needs and occupancy of the space.

The zones in your home may be set up as a cluster of rooms, or an entire floor. Each zone has an independent thermostat to optimize the temperature and humidity levels in each area, allowing for personalized comfort. It helps improve energy efficiency by directing conditioned air only to occupied zones, also reducing energy waste.

Your Carrier Factory Authorized Dealer is expertly equipped to best identify how your home should be zoned for maximum efficiency and comfort, and will make recommendations based on your expectations and budget. The dealers of CarrierOhio are standing by no matter where you live in Northern or Central Ohio —including Akron, Cleveland, Columbus, Mansfield, Canton, Youngstown, Elyria, Sandusky, and Mentor.

Find the Carrier Factory Authorized Dealer in your neighborhood today to get started!

Advantages of Zone HVAC Systems

In a traditional HVAC system, your system only allowed you to set one temperature for the entire home.  If the thermostat was set to 68 degrees Fahrenheit, then it was 68 degrees everywhere —the living room, the kitchen, the bathroom, and the bedrooms. Unfortunately, in some homes, that wasn’t always the case thanks to drafty windows, a lack of insulation, leaky ducts, or the location of some rooms (like above the garage or in the basement) that required conditioned air to travel further. While the thermostat might’ve been set at 68, some rooms could be 50 and some could be 80. That’s not very comfortable!

Zoning eliminates all of those issues, and offers personalized comfort control by dividing your home into separate zones, each with its own thermostat. These systems use dampers in the ductwork to regulate airflow to different areas, allowing for individual temperature settings in each zone. They eliminate temperature variations throughout the home, and typically involves retrofitting or modifying existing duct work.

There are a tremendous number of advantages to thermostats and zone controls in your home, including:

  • Personalized Comfort - Everyone in the household can set the temperature to their liking. No more arguments over adjusting the thermostat —everyone can be as comfortable as they want in their zone.
  • Energy Efficiency - By only heating or cooling specific areas of your home, your HVAC system will not need to run as long, saving energy. The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) estimates that HVAC zoning can save homeowners up to 20 percent on their energy bills .
  • Better Indoor Air Quality - HVAC zoning can help to prevent the spread of dust and allergens by circulating conditioned air more evenly throughout the home.
  • Less Wear and Tear - Thermostats and zone controls can help extend your system's service life by preventing your HVAC equipment from working overtime.
  • Increased Resale Value - HVAC zoning offers an appealing, eco-friendly feature that can raise a home's value. The Appraisal Institute, established in 1991, estimates zoning can increase a home's market value by seven percent.

Your Carrier Factory Authorized Dealer will help you determine if thermostats and zone controls are suitable for your home, and how best to implement them.

Find the Carrier Factory Authorized Dealer in your neighborhood today to get started!

Zoned HVAC Installation

Setting up a zoned HVAC system requires careful planning, and your Carrier Factory Authorized Dealer takes many factors of your home into account: the layout, ceiling height, number of levels, type and quantity of insulation, occupancy and use, and the heating and cooling equipment currently in your home. They then will make recommendations on how best to divide your home to effectively and efficiently control the temperature best.

Because a zoned system uses mechanical dampers in your ductwork and multiple thermostats, a control panel is also installed that allows you to adjust the temperatures in each area from one convenient location. The thermostats, mechanical dampers and control panel all have wiring that needs to be carefully placed and linked. Wi-Fi makes it possible to view and control smart systems remotely.

Your home is a good candidate for thermostats and zone controls if you have:

  • Large open areas
  • Finished attic, basement, or over-the-garage rooms
  • A two-story or more home
  • A large floor plan with areas unused on a daily basis
  • A concrete-slab foundation
  • Large windows

Carrier Zoning Solutions

Carrier offers three zoning systems to fit your lifestyle and comfort needs, and your Carrier Factory Authorized Dealer can help you identify which one is best for your home.

  • Infinity® Zoning System*: Carrier’s most intelligent system allows control of the temperature and humidity in up to eight areas in the home. Add optional smart sensors to easily monitor and control each zone.
  • Performance™ Four-Zone System*: Experience targeted home comfort control and enhanced energy efficiency in up to four zones in your home.
  • Comfort™ Series Three-Zone System*: Control the temperature in up to three areas in the home to deliver the efficient comfort where needed.

Zoning and Thermostats

Behind every successful zoning system is the brains of the operation: the thermostat. Your Carrier Factory Authorized Dealer has a wide variety of programmable and smart thermostats to choose from including ecobee, Carrier Infinity, and Carrier Comfort Series to work with your zoning system.  When paired together, a zone system and smart thermostat will give you ultimate control over the comfort of your home —at a cost-saving price!

Can You Add Zones to an Existing HVAC System?

Absolutely! Whether you’d just like more control over your environment or installing a new system, your Carrier Factory Authorized Dealer can easily retrofit thermostats and zone controls to work with your existing equipment.

Zone Control System Repairs

As with all other parts of your HVAC system, if you detect an issue —an unusual sound, an unexplained tick, or unexpected increase in your energy bills —it’s wise to contact your Carrier Factory Authorized Dealer to schedule a service call.  Quickly addressing a minor issue today can prevent a costlier problem in the future. The dealers of CarrierOhio are skilled at working with all makes and models of HVAC equipment, and provide 24/7 emergency repair services to be there when you need them!

Find the Carrier Factory Authorized Dealer in your neighborhood today!

Zone Control System Maintenance

Anyone who owns a vehicle knows that preventative maintenance —changing your oil and having your brakes inspected— can save you thousands of dollars. Your car runs better, and you don't spend as much time in the repair shop. Apply that same strategy to your HVAC equipment. By scheduling annual tune-ups and inspections, you get the most mileage from your investment and help your equipment reach (or exceed) its expected service life.

Ask your Carrier Factory Authorized Dealer about their maintenance and service agreements. By having a regular service agreement, you’ll not only have the peace of mind knowing your equipment is always operating at peak performance, but you’ll also help to offset the cost of labor, parts and repairs. You could also receive additional discounts on maintenance services like tune-ups, and priority service in an emergency.

Call Your Carrier Zoning Experts Today

CarrierOhio is a network of Carrier Factory Authorized Dealers across Northern and Central Ohio, all of whom can expertly install a zoning system in your home. Find the Carrier Factory Authorized Dealer in your neighborhood today to get started!