Zone controlled heating and cooling refers to the heating/cooling of different parts of the indoor at a different temperature. Initially, with the introduction of the central cooling system, the only way to zone was to close the vents. But later on, it was found that closing vents actually leaves very bad impacts on the entire HVAC system. With time, new technologies were introduced and today, there are multiple solutions available in order to enjoy zoned heating/cooling in the indoor. In addition to providing with the temperature of choice for every homeowner, its most attractive feature is the energy saving that it offers.

How does zoning help in saving on energy bills? 

In the case of central heating/cooling, the conditioned air moves through the ductwork and reaches every room. Whether or not there's someone in the room or regardless of what temperature the person in the room wants, the system cools/warms the entire indoor at one specified temperature. This way, even when one room is being used, all the rest of the rooms consume energy and raise energy bill. As a zoned system is used, the supply to the unused rooms can be completely shut off by turning off the Thermostat setting of that room. Similarly, for family members who don't want very highly warm or highly cold temperature, the temperature can be reduced a few degrees which once again reduces the energy bills. Also, in multiple storey homes, there's usually a temperature difference when conventional Central Cooling/Heating is used. The zoning system covers this as well since it differently regulates different zones.

In the case of Split Air Conditioner system, the saving scheme is evident. Simply shut the systems off in unused rooms. While this may seem insignificant, you'll be surprised to see the difference that this makes. Every single degree matters and while zoning system is costly, it definitely offers with long-term saving on energy bills which suffices for the initial investment.

Different zoning options available 

Damper Zoning 

One of the most efficient zoning options is the Damper zoning option. Dampers are installed and are regulated with the help of Thermostats. So as the temperatures for different dampers are set differently, they open/close accordingly allowing only the amount of conditioned air that is necessary to cool/warm the room to the set temperature.

Split System 

Instead of installing an entire ductwork or renovate the ductwork with dampers, a number of homeowners prefer Split Systems. With Heat Pump technology supported, Split Air Conditioners can be used both for heating as well as for cooling. With separate units, different areas can be conditioned differently.

Smart Vents 

Smart vents are a new introduction in zoned controlled systems. Smart vents do what you do. The difference is just that they do it smartly (sort of). They are installed just where the vents are installed and work in collaboration with the WiFi Thermostat. Depending on the temperature requirement, they open/close accordingly. While they may seem an attractive option, they are not really recommended by HVAC professionals for the same reason closing of vents is not recommended.
So, have you ever tried zoning system? If yes, how beneficial did you find it?

December is coming and so is Christmas; which means the holiday season is here. You'll be spending more time at home, there will be giving and taking of gifts and the heating appliances will be used almost constantly. All of this suggests that energy bills will rise. Since there are a lot of other expenditures in winters, it is important to keep other expenses in control. And energy bills is something which can be controlled easily. In this blog, we'll share 5 energy saving tips so that your energy bills don't disturb your expenses and you could enjoy your holidays.

- Christmas lights is a good idea 

Instead of spending on costly decoration lights which consume a whole lot of energy, a better idea is to choose Christmas lights. These lights not only illuminate the area well but are also more energy efficient. So when you are out to make the Christmas decoration purchase, make sure to buy wisely. Decorate but decorate economically. This will save you some dollars for exclusive holiday meals.

- Timers help save! 

The sun is out there for an entire day to give us free light. It is, therefore, unwise to turn the light on even in the day. This tip is not just for holidays. It's a lifetime tip to use timers for lights. So that the lights are turned on only when it gets dark. Sometimes, the lights are left turned on by mistake for long hours or as you leave for a weekend out of the town. One benefit of timers, in this case, is that the lights automatically turn off after 6 hours.

- Gifting HVAC stuff? Choose wisely!

This holiday season, if you are planning to gift an HVAC appliance or accessory to a friend or family, make sure to purchase an energy efficient unit. This will help them save and the saving will make your gift an exclusive gift for them.

- Cook smartly!

In holidays, there's a lot of cooking and meet-ups. Plan your meals well before time so that you don't have to cook meals separately and can place two, three dishes together in the oven. This will save on energy bills. You could also think of washing the dishes yourself instead of using a dishwasher, using a microwave for quick cooking instead of using a conventional oven which takes longer. Together, this will help save.

-  Use a Programmable Thermostat 

 Upgrading to a programmable thermostat will help in saving a whole lot of energy and will also ensure a comfortable indoor environment for you and your guests. With snowfall outside, the home inside will be perfectly warm. Like a warm toaster.

A lot of us are worried about tight budgets these days. Some people think saving is not possible. The truth is, it's all about managing the usage. We have just told how by managing the energy usage at home, you could manage to save a great deal on energy bills.
Looking for more energy efficient ideas? Explore our blog. We have a lot more to share.

While we are concerned about making our homes cooler, making the workplaces cool especially places like factories is a matter equally important. A factory with a bad temperature will create problems not only for the workers but will also add to damaging the installed equipment and the manufactured products. With a constant operation and a constant release of heat, the machinery gets heated and this heat heats up the factory floor as well. The high temperature could be bearable in winters or under normal climate but this certainly goes beyond bearable in summers. Today, we are sharing some smart and cost-effective tips for maintaining a desirable temperature in factories and actively combating heated factory floor.

- Door & Windows - Make use of this blessing 

Every factory has its own requirements. While many factories are bound to work in a sealed environment, there are many others that are not bound by such limitations. In such factories, the simplest of all ways to cool the floor and the overall environment is to let the doors and windows open. Doing so at the right time and with the right strategies will expel a lot of heat resulting in a cooler environment.

- The wonder of HVLS fans 

The high volume - low-speed fans are larger than ordinary fans and follow the principle of high volume with low speed. As they operate, they help break the hot-spots and also create an effective and significant temperature difference of 7%. While these fans could be stand alone, they can also operate in tandem with the HVAC system.

- HRV system 

A heat recovery system is one of the best investments that can be made in order to maintain a desirable environment on the factory floor. Since this system will run to expel the heat and continue introducing fresh air in the indoor, the heat will not accumulate on the floor not causing any hot spots.

- Choosing between Central Cooling or Evaporative Cooling 

Here's a choice you have to make carefully. Evaporative cooling is a wonderful and compatible choice for low humidity climates as this creates a cooling effect while also lifts the humidity level. However, in highly humid climates, evaporative cooling is not a good idea. In that case, Central Cooling works best. In case of severe conditions, a combination of HVLS fans can be used, as mentioned above.

- Sealing and zoning in the factory floor 

We understand that not the entire building needs the same temperature. It is evident that offices and factory space have different temperature requirements but even in the factory space, not all units have the same temperature requirements. Overall overheating of the factory floor can negatively affect some units. A smarter choice, in this case, is incorporating a zoning system so that the units needing extra cooler temperature can be kept accordingly.
But as the desired temperature requirements are created and the needed equipment is installed, make sure that the factory floor is also properly sealed so that the cooling does not escape and the system does not have to run constantly.

Does your factory incorporate ways to cool the factory floor? If yes, how? And how effective does it prove to be?

So one of the worries associated with summers is rising energy bills. It becomes difficult to control the bills when cooling becomes a need. But many times, it is not the operation of the system that soars the bills but the improper usage and bad HVAC practices that do so. In this blog, we'd highlight those wrong HVAC practices and mistakes that lead to high energy bills.

- Ignoring pre-season maintenance

There are a number of homeowners that do not have their appliances maintained until the appliance begins to show some signs of repair or gives compromised efficiency. This is one of those practices that not only keep the unit at the threat of a sudden repair but also lowers its efficiency. As a result, the system takes longer to cool and loses efficiency earlier. This increases the energy bills.
To make the most of your system, always choose pre-season maintenance and do not put a system into use without maintenance after a break of several years. That's our suggestion number 1.

- Leaving Air Filters Dirty

You might say you already know that changing filters is important. But knowing is not enough. You have to be very regular about changing the filters. Although it is suggested to change the filter after every 3 months in peak season, you still have to check your usage and the type of area you live in. If your system runs too much and you live in an area with a high level of pollution, you may consider replacing/cleaning filter once every month. But do it after 3 months in all cases.
The dirty filter blocks the passage of air, causing the AC to push harder to let the air pass through it. This overburdening increases the bills while also put the blower at the risk of a breakdown.

- Too low Thermostat setting

We understand that when it's hot, you feel like wanting to slip over ice cubes or to set your Thermostat at the lowest possible but that won't give a longterm relief. Many people, as they feel hot in the afternoons set the Thermostat too low and keep changing the temperature the entire day. Once again, a wrong practice. Changing the settings frequently or setting them too low makes the system trip frequently as well. And the system takes the most of energy as it trips off and on. A better practice is to set a moderate temperature and let the system run for long at the same temperature. 

So you might wonder why are we even talking about Water Heaters in the middle of hot Summers. Well, wise people think wisely and one of the thoughts of wise people suggests that it can be very economical to purchase heating appliances in summer and vice versa. In summer, the prices of heating appliances like Furnace and Water Heaters are lower than the peak season prices. So it can save you a great deal of money if you replace heating appliances in summer. Some other benefits of doing so is that you will get enough time to research about the right product and will get a good quote from a good installer as well.


If you have been using your Water Heater since the times of Queen Victoria, and your water heater still warms water for you, it does not mean you completely overlook the thought of replacement since it is highly risky to use outdated appliances. So once you know your Water Heater has completed its lifespan or has already gone a few years more than the expected lifespan, think seriously about a replacement. Here are 3 ways that can help you decide your Water Heater is failing

It becomes quite difficult to make the right HVAC decisions when there's no one to make a professional suggestion but guess what, it becomes even more difficult when there are so many to make the ''professional'' suggestions. Since HVAC is not considered a professional sphere everywhere, every other person with any experience or insignificant know-how tends to act as professional and this leads to creating so many HVAC myths. One such myth is; Purchasing a high seer Air Conditioner means saving & saving since a high seer returns the investment in a few years by saving hundreds of dollars on energy bills. Also, a high seer is suitable for everyone so hey! Planning to purchase a new unit? Purchase high seer!

The truth is otherwise. A high seer may not always be the right choice for you and for your budget. Now it's time to debunk some High Seer Air Conditioner myths. But before that, the seer value doesn't mean the system will have this constant value, let's say 21 the entire period of operation. The seer ratio is actually the HIGHEST estimated ratio of the unit. Which means the highest possible efficiency that the system would be able to give is 21 (in case of 21 SEER AC).

So do you like summers? If not, you probably don't like it because of the scorching heat that it brings. And did you know, everytime you felt exhausted because of hot temperature, it was not only the temperature but the humidity as well that made you feel that way? Humid air makes the air feel warmer than it actually is. So as you make efforts to cool the indoor air in Summers, there are steps that you need to take regarding maintaining a desirable level of humidity if you wish to enjoy comfort in the indoors in summers. This is particularly needed for homes that are built in a way or are situated at places that causes a natural rise in humidity.

How does Dehumidifier work? 

How does your vacuum cleaner works? It sucks the dust and throws that off in the dustbin attached to it? Well, a dehumidifier works in a similar fashion. It sucks the humid air and rolls it over it evaporator coil. The humidity is sucked here and the air is then shifted to the condenser coil from where the dehumidified air goes back into the room.
In addition to providing a comfortable indoor, the other benefits that the Dehumidifier offers are hereunder;

Dehumidifier | An anti-allergen;

A dehumidifier it itself does not contain any anti-allergen features like the UV Lights or Air Cleaners but it still works as an anti-allergen just by keep the humidity level maintained. Humid air speeds up the spread of bacteria. In addition, the moist air also produces mould and mildew that become a severe headache to deal with.

Dehumidifier | Anti Odour 

As there remains a constant moisture in the air, this moisture contributes to producing unpleasant musty odours. These odours could be produced because of the mild and mildew or because of the constant wetness of things like wood, fabrics etc. A dehumidifier can help combat such odours that are produced by excessive humidity.

Dehumidifier | Anti excessive energy bills 

O yeah, it might sound weird. How come a dehumidifier will help reduce the energy bills when it will in itself be an addition to the already installed appliances? Well, actually the Dehumidifier, as it maintains the indoor humidity lowers the burden on the Air Conditioner and the Air Conditioner has an easy time conditioning the air. Consequently, it will cool quickly, trip off in time and operate not unnecessarily, resulting in balanced energy bills and longer lifespan of the AC.

Living in these times of industrialisation and constantly changing climates, we have more challenges to face regarding keeping our indoor air clean and comfortable. Our forefathers did not have to face these worries. But we also have more facilities than they had, to combat these problems. A dehumidifier is one such blessing of technology. Using a portable Dehumidifier, you can manage to dehumidify air in any room, you can take it outside with you, you can dehumidify air in your car and can combat moisture anytime you want. And by installing a whole home Dehumidifier, the air of the entire home can be dehumidified to make it pleasantly comfortable.

If you have struggled with humidity and are now totally fed up, it's probably the time to consider installing a Dehumidifier.

Rinnai, the renowned HVAC company has started a new venture. A tour named "Try Rinnai Tour". Through this tour, Rinnai is reaching out professionals in America and Canada by setting up almost 1500 stops. The tour started in April and would be ending in September with Rinnai showcasing three of its new launches. The purpose of the tour is to provide HVAC professionals with a first-hand experience of the latest launches that are;
- Sensei Tankless Water Heater
- Condensing Boiler (M series)
- Demand Duo 80 (Commercial Water Heater)

Advantages of the tour 

This tour is an interesting initiative. Although Rinnai itself will have a great shout out of its appliances through this tour, the tour will not only bring advantage to Rinnai alone. There's something that the HVAC professionals and the common homeowners, in general, would be able to reap. Here's what:

- The visitors will be able to enjoy a 4-minute virtual reality experience of replacing an old Water Heater with the latest Rinnai Sensei Water Heater
- The attendees will be able to participate in surveys
- Information on consumer financing options will be given
- Homeowners who are deciding to replace their appliances will get a good option to pick up without having to make extra efforts
- Since professionals will try the units, dealers and homeowners would get a great deal of learning from the feedbacks.

What do I get if I visit the Try Rinnai Tour Truck?

You'll get all that has been mentioned above but there's one more interesting thing;
The visitors will be given a chance to win an all-expense paid VIP NASCAR experience at Atlanta Motor Speedway. Just take the Sensei training online and enter the provided code to be considered for the lucky draw.

Rinnai Rebates 

In addition to advertising the above mentioned 3 appliances, Rinnai is also offering attractive rebates. There's a rebate of $100 on the installation of the first Sensei Water Heater while a Rebate of $250 on the M Series Boiler.

When is Try Rinnai Tour coming to my area? 

If you're living in Canada or USA, one of the 7 Rinnai trucks would make a stop in your vicinity. To check out the exact schedule and locations, visit the official website of Rinnai.

Mark Buss, vice president of Rinnai marketing said that Rinnai is excited to provide professionals not only a first-hand experience to see and analyse their latest releases but also an opportunity to enjoy a virtual reality experience of the simple and easy installation process.

Rinnai is serving in the field of HVAC since 1920. This Japan-based company has long been making its best to provide comfort and efficiency at the most affordable rates. And now this initiative of a road tour by an HVAC company is something that would really make common people know and understand more about HVAC and more importantly about making wise HVAC choices.
Check out when the truck will be in your back street and hey! Don't forget to go and gather all the possible HVAC learnings. They'll be helpful bet ya!

It does not really matter whether you have a Programmable Thermostat, a Non-Programmable Thermostat or a standard Digital or Mercury thermostat; what really matters is whether or not the installed thermostat is operating efficiently and keeping you comfortable. And when it comes to comfort, even the latest technology thermostat would fail to do it if it is not maintained on a regular basis and a very ordinary thermostat provided with regular maintenance can provide with a far better efficiency and comfort. So here you learn, maintenance matters. And when it comes to Thermostat it is not just cleaning, dusting or general inspection that matters. There are other maintenance to do's as well that are required to be followed in order to make the most of the device. So here's a piece of learning for you;

Testing your Thermostat at the beginning of every season  

The purpose of your Thermostat is to keep your indoor comfortable by keeping the temperature under control. And it can do so if it is itself able to sense what the temperature exactly is. Many times, the indoor discomfort is caused by a Thermostat with faulty readings. So test your device at the beginning of every season, preferably at the beginning of winter and summer when the HVAC appliances run the most. To test, place a standard thermometer with precise readings at the wall where the Thermostat is installed. Wait for 15 minutes. Now compare the reading of the Thermometer and that of Thermostat. It is okay if there's a temperature difference of 5 degrees. If it's more, recalibrate your device. If the problem persists and you know no other DIY, it's time to call a pro.

Check batteries regularly 

It is preferred to go for quality batteries when you are purchasing them for your Thermostat and that is because battery problem in Thermostat can actually put your entire home in a discomfortable environment. Check the batteries after every six months. Also, if your Thermostat turns off/on, check the batteries if they need replacement.

Some fixes with the anticipator 

A thermostat anticipator basically helps you save on energy bills while also help keep the indoor comfortable by turning the system off a little earlier to avoid overheating/cooling. Cycling of the system too often or not often enough suggests there is need for some fixes with the anticipator. Reach the inside of the Thermostat and look for the anticipator pointer. If your system cycles too often, set the pointer at a higher setting. If the case is otherwise; the system doesn't cycle enough, set the setting a little lower.

Avoid unnecessary DIY

There are some simple maintenance to do's that homeowners can do on their own. But there are others that are not suggested to be tried with DIY particularly in case of complex thermostats or when it's about wiring issues etc. So as you perform DIY maintenance, keep limits and do contact an HVAC professional for maintenance when the task is beyond your capabilities.

Homeowners who don't face problems like basement flooding or water leaks may never think of a scenario like Furnace rusting. The fact, however, is that Furnace rust does not only take place in the cases mentioned above. There can be a number of other reasons when this can occur. Furnace, overall, is a reliable HVAC appliance, which if maintained properly can last for up to 20 years or more. But as the Furnace ages, it corrodes whatsoever. An ageing Furnace often shows rust problems too. So if you wonder why and how Furnace rusting occurs, you will find this blog beneficial. 

While winter is the time when everyone is concerned about the heating appliances, it is also the time to make purchase of cooling appliances and there are wise reasons to do so;

1. Because of off-peak season, the prices of cooling appliances lower in winter as compared to what they are in summer
2. Making purchase in winter can give you enough time to make a detailed research about what to purchase 

But as you purchase a new Air Conditioner, you must also be concerned about where and how to dispose the old unit. There are many homeowners who have little to no knowledge about the how’s and why’s of appliance disposal and particularly about Air Conditioner disposal. In this blog, we shall discuss why proper disposal is important and what are the options that are available for the disposal. Read on!