Save Money This Winter with Zone Heating
As it becomes colder and colder, homeowners start relying more and more on their central heating systems. This increased use usually results in a higher electricity bill, causing homeowners to seek more cost-effective ways to heat their homes. Zone heating will help you save money on your electric bill, while also providing a warm and comfortable environment for your family.
What is Zone Heating
Zone heating allows you to control the heat in each “zone” or room, instead of controlling the temperature from one spot in the center of the home. With zone heating, you can control the temperature of each zone and direct the heat to where you need it the most. So, if your family spends most of their time in the living room, you can make this zone warmer and the other zones cooler. This control allows you to set your central heating system to a lower temperature, which means it will not kick on as often or run as long. Saving money on your utility bills will be a given once you start using the zone heating system.
Benefits of Zone Heating
Although saving money on your utility bills is a huge benefit of using zone heating, there are many others. With zone heating, you can compensate for the architecture of your home. Often times in two-story homes, the upstairs is overheated while the downstairs is too cold. This is because heat rises. With zone heating, you can set the thermostat lower to create a suitable temperature upstairs and supplement the heating downstairs with an electric heater or gas fireplace. Another issue that is solved by zone heating is family members who are comfortable at different temperature levels. One family member may like their bedroom colder, while the rest like a warmer home. With zone heating, you can achieve different comfort levels and avoid the fight over the thermostat.
How to Achieve Zone Heating
While there are several different ways to achieve zone heating, some are more practical than others. For example, you can install a whole home zone heating system, but these are very expensive. You could also use space heaters to heat the rooms you are in. However, these present a high fire danger and need to be turned off when they are left unattended. For a safe and efficient solution, we recommend the installation of gas, wood, or pellet stove or insert. Wood stoves and inserts are great for providing warmth and are an economical fuel option. However, burning wood creates more smoke and ash. which leads to more creosote buildup. Stoves and inserts that use pellets is a great alternative to wood. They are cost-effective and easier to store than wood logs. The downside is that pellet stoves typically use fans to push naturally occurring byproducts out of your home. Because the fans run on electricity, you can’t use these stoves during a power outage. Gas stoves and inserts provide the convenience of an instant fire, and many now provide an identical look and feel to wood-burning stoves. Gas is also the cleanest fossil fuel and the stoves require very little maintenance. As prices of natural gas fluctuate, fuel costs could become problematic.
There are many different options to choose from when deciding how to heat the different zones in your home. As a National Fireplace Institute partner, we are certified to help you find the best solution to fit your needs. Give us a call today and start saving money through zone heating!