Save Energy And Money When You Zone Your Heating [Manchester, PA]

Do you want to make your home more comfortable in the winter? But do you also want to spend less on your utility bills during the same season? You’d think those two are incompatible — you get what you pay for, right? But there’s a way to get both if you set up the right zoned heating system.

Even if you don’t know the term “zoned heating,” it’s not a crazy concept. If you’ve ever used window AC, portable air conditioners, or through-the-wall units, you’re already familiar with the idea.

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And, when the cold weather hits, the right strategy can save you energy and money — while making your home cozier than ever before. We’ll explain how to do it in five steps:

1. What Is Zoned Heating?

2. How Does Zoned Heating Save Energy?

3. How Does Zoned Heating Save Money?

4. What’s The Best Way To Get Zoned Heating In Your Manchester, PA Home?

5. Mini-Split And Heat Pump Installation In Manchester, PA

Do you have any questions about the heating system in your Manchester, PA home? Or are you researching a replacement? Either way, Air Comfort Technologies is here to help! We have an excellent reputation and years of experience serving homes and businesses in South Central Pennsylvania. Click below or call us for a free consultation.

What Is Zoned Heating?

Zoned heating is simply using different thermostats and units to heat each part of your home differently. It’s the opposite of central heating: A single thermostat and furnace for the entire house. But, if you’re reading this, then you don’t think the one-size-fits-all approach works very well.

It does have a lot of limitations. You’ve probably noticed those on your second (or third floor). In particular, when the bedrooms are way too cold in the winter, but downstairs feels just fine.

The problem is the thermostat downstairs can’t gauge or regulate the temperature upstairs. With zoned heating, that’s not a problem. Instead, you have different units in various parts of the house. Each one turns on and off as needed.

We brought up window ACs before as an example of zoned cooling. It’s the same concept: You’re cooling each room individually. That way, the top-floor rooms get the extra cooling they need without freezing out the first floor.

It’s the same concept for zoned heating — only with warmth for the winter.

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How Does Zoned Heating Save Energy?

Zoned heating saves energy in more ways than one — depending, of course, on the systems you use. We’ll go through those a little later.

But, no matter what, you’ll use less energy by not overheating one part of the house to compensate for the rooms that are too cold. That’s what you’re doing when you crank the thermostat up well past 70 to warm up the bedrooms.

You’re making the downstairs too hot, and you’re using too much energy.

Instead, set each room to the temperature you want. And, turn off the heat when you don’t need it! If you’re leaving the house every morning, or at least not going upstairs, there’s no reason to keep the bedrooms warm all day.

Or, do the reverse at night: Let the first floor cool down while the upstairs is nice and cozy.

Then, you can save even more energy by choosing energy-efficient heaters. You won’t conserve a lot of resources if you’re zoning but still using energy-hungry appliances. We’ll explore the two most popular options. But first, let’s talk money.

How Does Zoned Heating Save Money?

Saving money with zoned heating is simple! The less energy you use, the less you pay for. It’s why your gas bill is a lot cheaper in the summer than the winter (and why your electricity costs go in reverse): You use more gas to heat your home (and more electricity to cool it).

Cutting down on your consumption means taking a huge chunk out of your monthly utility costs.

What’s The Best Way To Get Zoned Heating In Your Manchester, PA Home?

At Air Comfort, we recommend ductless mini-splits as the best way to get zoned heating in homes from Manchester down to Dover, PA. They beat out baseboard heaters, which used to be the best option. Although ductless is more expensive upfront, you get more benefits and pay less in the long run.

You can read our comparison to baseboard heaters here. And learn more about mini-splits in general here and here. For now, we’ll touch on three main points:

1. How Ductless Works

2. Why It’s Efficient

3. How It Saves You Money

How Ductless Works

A ductless mini-split moves heat, not air. It does this using an outdoor heat pump that pumps warmth into the house in the winter. Inside, you have air handlers in each room you’re treating. Each indoor unit (usually a wall-mounted model) has a thermostat and circulates air accordingly.

That’s the short version. We get into more detail here and here.

Why It’s Efficient

Mini-splits are exceptionally energy efficient in the winter because they don’t burn fossil fuels like oil or natural gas to create heat. Instead, they use the heat, or thermal energy, that already exists outside. Then, the heat pump amplifies that thermal energy and sends it inside your home.

It only needs a tiny bit of electricity to start the process — not a lot of power to heat up coils like baseboard heaters.

(And here’s a bonus: They work just as well — and efficiently! — like air conditioners in the summer.)

How It Saves You Money

Your mini-split saves you money thanks to all the benefits of zoning your HVAC system that we discussed. And by not burning fossil fuels. But there’s even more.

The heat pump in a mini-split often runs in a low-power mode. That way, it doesn’t have to shut off every 15 minutes or so like a conventional furnace. Instead, it uses the HVAC version of “cruise control” to maintain the temperature.

Instead of stopping and starting, that steady performance uses far less energy than a heater that uses more resources to kick on a few times every hour.

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Mini-Split And Heat Pump Installation In Manchester, PA

Air Comfort Technologies is the expert for mini-split and heat pump installation in Manchester, PA, and across South Central Pennsylvania. We’re certified to work on all major brands, including Mitsubishi — the industry leader in mini-splits. Ready to learn more?.

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