One of the most common homeowner complaints we hear in the HVAC (heating, ventilation and air conditioning) industry is related to “temperature stratification.” In summer, you have a hot, stuffy second floor while the basement rec room feels like a meat locker. Or, in winter, you have that one bedroom that just can’t get warm enough.

Zoning is the answer to your indoor comfort woes — and better yet, it saves you energy and money.

So what IS zoning?

In a nutshell, zoning lets you direct heated or cooled air only to the rooms that need it. Thermostats sense the temperature in each zone, and they tell your HVAC system how much heated/cooled air is needed. A signal is then sent to special motorized dampers in your ductwork (or right in your outlet vents) — which open and close as necessary to direct the air where it’s needed, and “satisfy” the thermostats’ request for a change in temperature.

While zoning isn’t a new concept, homeowners are beginning to hear more about it — especially for existing homes. This is partly due to recent advances in wireless technology — with wireless thermostats, there’s no more threading thermostat wire through your walls (which can be extremely time-consuming and expensive).

Plus, even with a finished basement and no access to your ductwork, you can still zone your home — outlet zone dampers are installed right in your air vents.

Could this be the summer you finally feel comfortable in EVERY room of your home?

For more information on zoning, view our video. Or, for a ZONEFIRST contractor near you, email info@zonefirst.com or call 1.877.604.1044 (U.S. only).

We all know how critical it is to continue learning — in business and in life.

That’s why ZONEFIRST is offering to pay for one HVAC Comfortech registration for your company, if you buy (10) zoning systems between now and September 20, 2010. (Details here.)

HVAC Comfortech can help you elevate the performance of your business with guidance and ideas from top-notch HVAC contractors and consultants.

Plus, explore new products and technologies at the Product Showcase — and network with people just like you, who want to take their business to the next level.

Hope to see you there!

See our news release picked up in the WSJ.

http://online.wsj.com/article/PR-CO-20100607-910164.html

Check out our zoning video for homeowners on You Tube.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NJ3FKq0N8u4

See Zoning article from A/C News http://www.achrnews.com/Articles/Cover_Story/BNP_GUID_9-5-2006_A_10000000000000822687

ZONEFIRST has continued to champion the enrgy saving aspects of zone damper systems.  We’ve posted findings from various studies all pointing to the energy saving aspects of zoning.  Of course these same studies show that zoning can also increase your energy use if one keeps all the thermostats at the same temperature.  This solves the comfort issues people experience between rooms but we admit will not save energy.  The savings comes by having the ability to setbackand even turn off the heating or cooling to ununsed zones and by not over heating/cooling rooms in order to get comfortable in another.  See the summary of these reports at http://zonefirst.com/energy_savings.html.

Due to the storm in NJ our factory is closed today.  We will re-open Monday March 1.  Our apologies for the inconvenience.

For the safety of our employees, ZONEFIRST has closed for today, Wed Feb 10 and will re-open Thurs Feb 11, due to the blizzard in Northern NJ.

Effective Jan 1, 2010, North Carolina mandated zoning of all newly installed HVAC Systems.  Zoning was defined as mutliple equipment or automatic damper systems.  It could also mean using manual dampers between seasons as well, however this is the first state truely recognizing zone damper systems.  This new code also requires room by room load calcs vs. one for the whole house. The next question is the meaning of newly installed and if this only means with new homes or a changeout.  See:http://www.nclicensing.org/_fpclass/_nosearch/New%20Rules%202010.pdf:

ZONEFIRST will have a new booth for the upcoming AHR Show in Orlando.  For more information go to www.ahrexpo.com.  See ZONEFIRST in booth 2916.   Print out this blog post and order at the show and receive $100 any system over $500.00.