two zone air/heat?

Question

What is the advantage of two zone air/heat and what is the best way to maximize efficiency and associated costs?

Answer 1

The advantage of multi-zone conditioning is you can condition only the space you are utilizing. As and example, say that you have your sleeping quarters on one end of the home, and your other living space on the other side of your home. during the day, you will condition the living side, and not the sleeping side. During the night, you will do the opposite; condition your sleeping space and not the living space.
To maximize efficiency of any unit, change the filter regularly, keep the unit clean, and have it inspected/serviced annually by a trained technician. Set your heat/cool settings to a realistic temperature, have a wider comfort zone (temperature setting that you can tolerate), and use a programmable thermostat.

Answer 2

If tyour house has two floors,high ceilings or many rooms two systems allow for two different thermostats that will control the desired temperature in each of the areas. Sometimes a single unit will ru to reach the desired temp while other areas are too hot or cold. I had 2 put in a 2 story chalet and it seemed cheaper to operate but I did not do a cost comparison.