Errores de zonificación HVAC que vemos con mayor frecuencia

Aprovechar la última tecnología para el sistema de control de clima de su hogar es una excelente manera de ahorrar energía y dinero. La zonificación del equipo HVAC de su hogar es una forma de ahorrar entre un 20 y un 40 % en eficiencia energética según algunas cuentas. Pero cuando la zonificación se instala incorrectamente, puede tener algunos efectos inesperados, incluidas averías frecuentes. La zonificación de un sistema de aire acondicionado y calefacción puede ser complicada porque requiere precisión para que funcione correctamente. Si se hace mal, los ahorros de energía desaparecen, las habitaciones experimentan temperaturas fluctuantes y, en el peor de los casos, el equipo trabaja demasiado, preparándose para fallar a una edad temprana. Esto es lo que necesita saber sobre los problemas de reparación que con mayor frecuencia nos llaman para solucionar los sistemas HVAC zonificados en el área de Houston.

La zonificación funciona mejor con sistemas HVAC de velocidad variable

La zonificación funciona mejor con sistemas HVAC de varias velocidades. Por ejemplo, con un sistema de dos velocidades, puede aprovechar el hecho de que su sistema puede funcionar al 66 % y al 100 % de su capacidad. Si tiene una habitación de invitados que no se usa con frecuencia, puede desviar el aire y reducir la cantidad de aire acondicionado o calefacción que necesita para el resto de su hogar. Alternativamente, en un día muy caluroso, puede dirigir más aire frío a una habitación de arriba para aumentar la comodidad. Otro equipo que se necesita son amortiguadores motorizados dentro de los conductos para regular y redirigir el aire donde se necesita más o menos aire y un termostato sofisticado (a veces múltiple) para ayudar a controlar la ventilación para que el sistema se mantenga equilibrado, el aire se dirija hacia donde debe ir y su sistema funciona correctamente (es decir, no funciona demasiado). Hay conocimientos específicos y una buena cantidad de matemáticas involucradas para que las cosas funcionen perfectamente. When it does, it can be wonderful – saving energy, money, and dialing up the personal comfort.

Skip Zoning with a Single-Speed System

We often see single-speed HVAC systems zoned for two-story homes, which sounds like a perfect fit in theory. It can save during the construction process, but these systems tend to have more maintenance problems over time and tend to underperform from the start. Often, two-story homes that are zoned with one air conditioner/furnace would do better with two separate systems – one serving the upstairs and one serving the downstairs. Many times the ventilation isn’t well-balanced, meaning there is more capacity (air blowing harder!) in certain parts of the system, which can cause a furnace to fail because it is overheating or the air conditioning to freeze up in the summer.

HVAC technicians who know what they are doing don’t usually recommend zoning for a single-speed system anyway because that kind of system doesn’t have the ability to “gear down” like a variable-speed system can. Multi-speed or variable-speed systems give the equipment the ability to work less during temperate weather. This is how they do so well with efficiency. A one-speed system can only blow at capacity, so there is never the option to cycle lower. It’s either on or off, and it’s more likely to be “on” if the ventilation isn’t balanced and/or it’s not quite big enough for what the house needs in the heat of the summer.

Air Delivery Gone Wrong With Zoning

The ventilation and ducting for moving the air is a critical ingredient to a zoning system’s success. When a central air conditioning and heating system (or heat pump and air handler) is zoned , it takes some know-how to make sure the air flow is balanced throughout the system. If you only need a little heating in one small room and your furnace is going full blast, the hot air that isn’t needed will need to go somewhere. A variable speed system can cycle down to balance the air flow; a one-speed system can’t do that, which makes balancing so much harder. When there is too much hot or cool air and there is no place for it to go, it will freeze up your air conditioner in the summer and overheat your furnace in the winter. This means your equipment will stop working when you most need it.

Installing a by-pass duct to relieve the excess pressure within zoned system ducting is one solution we see often. We don’t advise this tactic because while it does reduce air pressure, it doesn’t take into account temperature differentials – making it even more likely for your system to work less efficiently or freeze up/overheat. We also rarely see them installed correctly as per Manual Z, the technical manual from the Air Conditioning Contractors of America.

Give Us A Call for Expert Help

When HVAC zoning is set up properly, it can enhance your home’s energy efficiency and increase your home’s comfort, but it is also one of the most common installation errors we see in new homes today in the Houston area. Contact Rob and Kenny of Terry’s A/C and Heating at 281-495-7830 if we can help you sort out a zoning snafu. We serve residential and light commercial customers on Houston’s west side along the IH-10 corridor up to the Medical Center and including Rosenberg, Fulshear, Katy, and Sugarland. Our family-owned team is a Carrier Factory Authorized Dealer that maintains and repairs all makes and models of air conditioning and heating equipment. We are known for fixing HVAC systems others say can’t be fixed. Find out what makes Terry’s A/C and Heating different from others and how our family got into the business.