Controlling the temperature of each area in the house to a comfortable level is now brought within the reach of individuals with Carrier Comfort Zone. NISAR BUNDEALI, manager of qualitiy and training at Carrier Saudi Arabia in Riyadh elaborates on this new concept.

Imagine the inconvenience of having just one light switch for the entire house. Just think of energy waste and lack of controlled lighting from one room to another. Unfortunately, that's the way most heating and cooling systems work. One centrally-located thermostat controls the comfort of an entire house, not taking into account the various "hot spots" or "cold spots" found throughout the home.

Carrier Comfort Zone (CCZ) allows the end-user to control the temperature to his comfort level by dividing his home in upto eight easy-to-regulate areas called zones. Different temperatures can be set in each zone for different times of the day or seasons of the year, maximizing comfort according to individual needs.

Comfort Zone takes into account that each home's layout provides different heating and cooling challenges. Multiple levels, mosque ceilings, large open areas, a room over a garage and large windows directly affect indoor comfort. Poor insulation is also a culprit. Regardless of the age, style or size of the home, Carrier's Comfort Zone is the solution for enhanced comfort.

Flexibility

Comfort Zone allows the user to customize the temperature to his comfort whether he owns a small single-storey, large multi-level home or something in between. Each type of home presents a different set of comfort demands. For example, in a multi-level home, heat rises to the upper floor, making it much warmer than the lower level.

Single-storey homes can be notorious for hot and cold spots. Walls exposed to the sun heat up quickly causing hot spots to move throughout the house as the day progresses. In addition, the house may have a spare bedroom or guest-room that is used only on occasions. These rooms may not need to be air-conditioned as much as the occupied rooms on the floor.

Comfort Zone provides a solution for all these home comfort concerns. Its flexibility enhances, because it's tailored to the house, the climate and the end-user's lifestyle.

Operation

Each of the eight zones of the CCZ has its own sensor. It's like having eight thermostats instead of just one. These sensors relay information to a centralised controller.

The controller activates the home comfort system, modulates dampers in the ductwork and sends conditioned air to the zones where it is needed. It is very much like switching a train onto the proper tracks so that it reaches its intended destination.

In a conventional system where there is one thermostat for the entire house, think about the various times that the thermostat has to be adjusted. Most people adjust it before work, in the evening prior to bedtime or as the temperature drastically changes. With CCZ, the thermostat does not need to be adjusted for temperature fluctuations or to save energy. The system can be programmed to take into account times that the user is or isn't at home and the varying seasonal temperatures. CCZ takes the confusion out of optimum comfort.

Zoning concept

Zoning isn't a new concept. Carrier invented commercial zoning systems over a decade ago (called VVT). With Comfort Zone, Carrier has taken its years of commercial zoning experience and applied it to the residential sector.

Energy savings

Energy saving is becoming more and more important today than even before.

A comparative study of various air-conditioning systems was conducted to determine the savings in energy costs with the utilization of Comfort Zone.

It is evident from the study that energy savings of up to 30 per cent can be achieved with CCZ.

The benefits of Comfort Zone include: