By investing into a smart thermostat, I was able to upgrade to zoned heating and cooling. I am able to set specific temperatures in the major rooms of the home. This allows me to maintain ideal comfort in occupied rooms, while saving energy in the empty areas. The zone control is especially helpful because my family lives in a very large, older home with lots of rooms. We seldom use the dining room, library or formal living room. However, the family room and kitchen tend to get overly chilly during the winter. I can now target heating to these rooms without impacting the rest of the house. Because the bedrooms are located on the second story, they are typically overheated. In the summer, we can focus some extra air conditioning to the bedrooms, and during the winter, we can reduce the heating a bit. With the independent thermostats in each of the rooms, my kids are able to customize temperature settings to their personal preference. During the day, when the bedrooms are empty, there’s no need to waste energy keeping them perfectly comfortable. Upgrading to zone control has saved a significant amount of money on monthly utility bills. It has also helped to reduce the workload of the furnace and air conditioner. This should add up to less maintenance requirements, fewer repair needs and a longer service life. The installation of zone control was not overly involved or expensive. Along with the cost and set up of the smart thermostats, the HVAC contractor simply installed a series of valves into the ductwork. These valves regulate air flow to the specific rooms.
The different types of thermostats