Anyone here add a zone to your HVAC? We are looking for a new house, and looking only at ranches is kinda limiting our options. I hate the temp changes among the 3 floors of our current house. Anyone have an estimate of how much it costs to add a zone/thermostat to the upstairs? And does it work well/is it worth it? Thanks.
Adding zones to your HVAC?
- Thread starter ripvdub
- Start date
I'm curious too. We have a four level split and the top/bedroom area is too hot in the summer and chilly in the winter
If the basement is unfinished,then its a good call. Usually around 1500-2000 to do that. If you use the lower level a lot, then its money well spent. Keeps the house very comfortable
Ditto. Replaced AC and furnace also two years ago. I inquired about the zones and was informed it would be cost prohibitive.
I know this won't work for a lot of homes but it took me a year in our house to figure out that you could adjust the damper. I marked it for summer and winter and it makes a big difference. I believe I send more heat to the lower level in the winter and more cold air upstairs in the summer.
I agree with the other posters about zones...they need to be put in when the house is built. I work from home and put in a 3/4-ton mini-split AC/heat pump in my office so I could just condition that space, since I am the only one who is home during the day. I bought the unit on-line, but had to have it installed by a contractor in order for the warranty to be honored. The unit cost me $1200, and installation cost $1100. I ran the electrical myself. I think the installation price was high, but I had to use a contractor that was approved by the unit manufacturer, and they did do a very good and thorough job.
This was two years ago and so far everything is working fine, and I would have no problem recommending the mini-split. You can also do "zones" with them if there are several spaces that you need to condition.
This was two years ago and so far everything is working fine, and I would have no problem recommending the mini-split. You can also do "zones" with them if there are several spaces that you need to condition.
I was going to ask if anyone had experience with these. I just bought an older home without any existing HVAC and I'm obviously not going to tear walls apart to put in a central air system.
When we built, we put a 2-zone system in for our 2-story house. I wish I would have put in a third zone for the basement. Especially like the zone system in the winter.
The house I'm renting has two zones with a single furnace and ac unit. The ducting was setup with the split for the two floors right at the furnace so there is an electrically controlled damper right at the unit that closes off or opens the upstairs feed.
There are two seperate thermostats and they do call and trigger independently. Seems to work pretty well.
There are two seperate thermostats and they do call and trigger independently. Seems to work pretty well.
All of our bedrooms are on the second level of our house. My kids are already sleeping on the couches on main floor because of this. I'll never again live in a two story without zones. I've looked into the mini-splits as well but I think I'd rather just get out of this house.
If it even comes close to 80 degrees we just turn on the air, it's not worth being miserable upstairs trying to get to bed, wish I would've put all of our bedrooms in our finished basement. I'd rather be cold than hot.
I guess I wont rule out a 2 story, but will consider them only if I can zone them.
I guess I wont rule out a 2 story, but will consider them only if I can zone them.
There are a range of options available. The most efficient and effective being the mini-split option mentioned above. However, like anything the best solution will also be the most costly.
The easiest and least costly option is using a thermostat solution. The link below is for the stat the company I work for wholesales and when paired with the indoor sensors is a poor mans zoning without altering duct work.
You can pair up to 4 indoor sensors to work with the main control. The sensors can be placed throughout the house, and gives up to 5 climate control zones when you include the main stat.
The stat will control in a variety of manners. You can balance as an average of the multiple zones, or have a master/slave relationship. This is the set-up I have in my 2 story home. I have 2 sensors, 1 in an upstairs bedroom, and the control stat on the main level. For certain program periods I run heat/cool off the main stat temperature set point, others are a balanced average, and in the evening I use only the upstairs sensor temp to cycle my system.
The sensors are portable and can be moved room to room, or even clipped to your belt.
http://www.vivecomfort.com/products/900-series/
http://www.vivecomfort.com/products/wireless-products-accessories/
The easiest and least costly option is using a thermostat solution. The link below is for the stat the company I work for wholesales and when paired with the indoor sensors is a poor mans zoning without altering duct work.
You can pair up to 4 indoor sensors to work with the main control. The sensors can be placed throughout the house, and gives up to 5 climate control zones when you include the main stat.
The stat will control in a variety of manners. You can balance as an average of the multiple zones, or have a master/slave relationship. This is the set-up I have in my 2 story home. I have 2 sensors, 1 in an upstairs bedroom, and the control stat on the main level. For certain program periods I run heat/cool off the main stat temperature set point, others are a balanced average, and in the evening I use only the upstairs sensor temp to cycle my system.
The sensors are portable and can be moved room to room, or even clipped to your belt.
http://www.vivecomfort.com/products/900-series/
http://www.vivecomfort.com/products/wireless-products-accessories/
There are other options available as well. A new start up called Ecovent has come out with a system that will zone every room in your house. I've been watching them for a while and they appear to be legit. Their results with Beta testers has been impressive and they are moving toward full rate production by the end of summer. I'll be getting on board for m y house in Phoenix.
https://www.ecoventsystems.com/
https://www.ecoventsystems.com/
This looks like it could be a really neat solution! It will be interesting to see how it works with single stage cooling systems in an application like mine (home office) where a smaller room only needs cooling. If it cycles the condensing unit a lot, the efficiency would suffer.
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Interesting. But isn't your system still going to have to run at one of the extremes, hot/cold, then it'll just adjust every other room accordingly?
Good idea, just need to take it a step farther and integrate it into zones in the ducts and furnace/ac as well.
Just ask their CTO....
Interesting idea, and if the price is right, might be a good solution.
Simple and often overlooked assist to balancing temps is to set your HVAC fan to "on" rather than automatic. I have a walkout level and upper level with cathedral ceiling. I run the HVAC fan all of the time and also a ceiling fan in the main room with the high ceiling. That combined with a return air intake high up the wall in the main room really helps balance things by keeping the air circulating through all areas all of the time. I also throttle down the free air intake form outside. I am in and out enough from the house (venting) that it isn't a big deal and I don't have anything but sealed combustion units so no need for combustion air via that sort of thing.
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I was actually going to post this very same product. I already have a Z-wave automation system in my home, so these vents would be perfect for me :yes:
You do need to worry about closing too many vents off and getting some pressure build up. But installing a bypass damper will take core of that problem.
