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SmartZone-4TM a Zone Control System for the 21st Century

 

Yesterday’s Technology is Being Replaced by New Ideas

It used to be that zone control was as crude as turning off individual radiators or installing window air conditioners for each room.  Those methods were costly, unsightly, and largely impractical.   Modern buildings require modern zone control systems that will work invisibly to provide clean, healthy, and comfortable heating and cooling exactly where the customer wishes.  New technologies and ideas available today enable zone control systems to offer more features and better comfort than ever before.  Zone control manufacturers who have kept up with technological advances are offering systems that include an array of new solutions that weren’t available even a year ago.

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Supply Air Temperature Adjustments

When only a few zones are open, excess conditioned air called bypassed air should be re-circulated into the return plenum instead of being routed to a dump zone.  It is inefficient and often ineffective for an HVAC system to dump as much as 70 per cent of cold or warm air into another part of the building – the practice when using a dump zone.  For maximum efficiency the air should be re-circulated through the system.  Using this re-circulated bypassed air as entering air can cause extreme supply air plenum temperatures if the bypassed air is not monitored and accurately controlled.  Older systems use temperature sensors in the supply air plenum that have only one or two predetermined set points for supply plenum temperature management and do not allow appropriate run times in locales with humidity extremes.  “We solved the problem by including electronic limit controls in the sensors in our SmartZone control systems,” said Greg Talley, vice president and national sales manager at XCI Controls.  “It works with push button adjustable set points in one degree increments.  This type of sensor monitors and delivers accurate supply air temperature regardless of relative humidity.” 

An added benefit of electronic limit control is intelligent second stage operation.  It allows for staging based on supply air temperature rather than using a simple timer to activate the second stage.  Equipment staging should be based on supply air temperature over time, not just a predetermined time period.

 

The Control Panel – The Heart of the System

Most of the technological advances in leading edge zone control systems are found in the control panel.  Control panels should be evaluated in four categories: Installation, Operation, Service, and Ease of use.

 

Installation

Modern control systems are designed with the installation/service contractor in mind.  They include such features as quick-connect screwless terminals to eliminate the tedium and wasted time involved in  making connections with a screw driver.  Panels and cases are designed for easy installation, as well.           

In addition to easy connections, our SmartZone systems are designed to operate with gas, electric, or heat pump system, allowing for considerably fewer products to inventory and keep track of.  The controller configures easily to virtually any system.  This flexibility carries over to the thermostats because modern systems accept all four- and five-wire thermostats, giving the contractor a large choice of products to choose from.

 

Operation

Modern second stage operation has already been discussed but other features of today’s zone control systems also contribute to efficient and cost-effective operation.  Fresh air damper control from 0 to 60 minutes per hour is built in, eliminating the need for a separate piece of hardware.  Modern zone panels monitor and control all of the functions of the system – heating, air conditioning, supply air temperature, thermostats, two-stage operation, and fresh air and supply.  The correct purging strategy in modern systems starts immediately after all calls are completed.  After finishing the last call, the system should close all dampers and purge strictly through the bypass duct.  Non-calling zones should never receive conditioned/purged air.  Since no cooling or heating equipment is running during the purge, the supply air temperature will move to a neutral temperature during a purge cycle.

 

Service

One of the most impressive differences between old zone control designs and those of the leading edge systems of today is the ease of service.  Today’s systems eliminate the need for the technician to wander around the building looking for problems.  “We tried to include everything we thought would make the contractors job easier,” said Talley.  “They have full displays for diagnostics right on the control panel.  The panels show what zone thermostats are calling and what equipment mode is running.  They feature LED indicators for every thermostat terminal. The controllers also indicate when dampers are being powered and in what direction and they show if the controller is receiving the call correctly.”  The end result is considerably easier and more efficient service.

 

Ease of Use

The one who ultimately benefits from these leading edge advantages is the customer.  With a modern zone control system, all the customer needs to do is set the thermostats.  Everything else is invisible and automatic.  The only one who needs to look at the control panel is the technician.  Companion products to the newest zone control systems offer even more advantages to the customer – as an example, the ability to set all thermostats from a personal computer.  By incorporating network thermostats into the zone control system, the customer gains complete flexibility through a Windows® based program.  They can monitor and make changes from a remote location. Today’s zoning systems have reached a level of technology that includes electronic limit control for supply air, a second stage that activates when demand dictates, ease of installation, ease of operation, and comprehensive diagnostics.  Put together, these new ideas offer numerous benefits for both the HVAC contractor and the customer.

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