My husband and I bought a very large, very old house in Plano, Texas.
We just love the local area and were delighted by the high ceilings, big windows, wide front porch and hardwood floors and moldings.
It never occurred to us that the home would be especially difficult to heat and cool. With the very chilly winters and long, hot and humid summers in Plano, temperature control is essential just about year round. The expense of heating and cooling is considerable. My husband and I were spending a fortune on utility bills, and the house was never quite comfortable. Certain rooms always felt overheated while others were chilly. With one thermostat, we couldn’t make an adjustment without affecting the whole house. Plus, we were forced to heat and cool multiple empty rooms. I finally got in touch with a local HVAC contractor in Plano and asked for a recommendation. He suggested upgrading the system to zone control. We now have a thermostat installed in each room. The HVAC contractor implemented dampers into the ductwork that regulate airflow. We are able to set independent room-by-room temperature and make adjustments through an app on our smartphones. Not only is this set up far more convenient, but we can tailor the settings to occupancy, preferences and the demands of the space. We have arranged programs that target temperature control to the bedrooms at night while conserving energy during the day. The zone control has significantly reduced wear and tear on the heating and cooling units. We are paying much lower utility bills, and hopefully the systems will experience fewer repair needs and last longer.