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Innovative Approaches to TMJ Disorders Through Chiropractic Adjustments

Jaw pain, ear pain, discomfort while eating and swallowing, and clicking sounds from the jaw are symptoms of Temporomandibular joint dysfunction (TMJ). While a common complaint, TMJ causes extreme discomfort in some cases and can interfere with your regular lifestyle. If mouth guards, oral splints, or other conservative treatments do not help, getting in touch with your family chiropractor might be a great idea if you are suffering from too much discomfort because of your TMJ. Chiropractic adjustments with their non-invasive strategies and hands-on correction methods can help to reduce pain from TMJ by identifying inflamed spots specifically and relaxing tension in your jaw muscles.

Why choose chiropractic treatment for TMJ?

While chiropractic therapy is very helpful for inflamed spinal areas, joints, and muscles all over the body, back pain, hip pain, and pain from other injuries, it can also greatly help patients with TMJ. The reasons why treatment by your family chiropractor might be a good option for TMJ patients are:

  • Non-Invasive- It is a non-invasive approach that aims at correctly identifying inflammation areas and with hands-on compression and tension properly adjusts the muscles. Thus, relief can be obtained with the slightest discomfort and the maximum precision in adjustment can be assured.
  • Natural Healing- It does not rely on the administering of medical drugs. Thus, it reduces the patient’s dependence on repeated doses of medicine and, at the same time targets pain spots directly with a hands-on approach, something that is not feasible with drugs.
  • Simpler and Easy to Avail- Sometimes some invasive surgical methods are suggested for the treatment of TMJ symptoms. These may involve the risk of complications and at the same time involve a long process of recovery. While it may be necessary in extreme cases, chiropractic care for TMJ may help better in mild to moderate cases because it involves almost zero complications of the procedure and does not involve a tedious process of recovery reducing mobility of muscles.

What are some sources of TMJ pain and how do chiropractors help with relief?

Mostly seen in young people but affecting people of all ages, TMJ is associated with a variety of causes, both inherent and acquired. Although the underlying medical conditions might require additional treatment, the symptoms of TMJ associated with these can be calmed to a great extent with chiropractic therapy. These are the sources of TMJ:

  • Nail biting
  • Teeth grinding
  • Arthritis and other degenerated joint problems
  • Misalignment
  • Automobile accidents
  • Jaw accidents
  • Sports accidents
  • Physical trauma
  • Autoimmune diseases

Many people suffer from TMJ symptoms without knowing that there are effective measures that can be taken to reduce their discomfort in chiropractic treatment. So how do chiropractors examine patients with TMJ and help relax their symptoms?

  • A chiropractor will first evaluate the patient’s spine, particularly the upper neck, for structural shifts that may irritate the nerves that supply the TMJ and its surrounding muscles. Thus, they perform a thorough analysis to identify and correct the root cause of symptoms.
  • Then they will check to see if the jaw joint needs to be realigned to provide optimal relief from pain and restore complete function of the joint. Advanced strategies of modern treatment like the Gonstead technique are nowadays used in chiropractic therapy to increase the precision of diagnosis.
  • Chiropractic therapy helps to restore the function of the spine, the nerves, and the jaw which the nerves are associated with. Specific jaw exercises may also be recommended to some patients to help strengthen the soft tissue that supports the joint, to prevent future flare-ups of symptoms.
  • Chiropractors carefully evaluate the unique nature of symptoms in each patient and observe them at the clinic to find out the most suitable paths of treatment for each. Some people may experience debilitating pain in the jaw, while others might have pain in the face, and ears, or clicking sounds in the jaw joint. Headaches and stiffness of the jaw may also be associated. Pain relievers may only mask the symptoms rather than treat the underlying cause. Thus, hands-on chiropractic therapy helps better with its precise adjustments.

Conclusion

TMJ is a common concern of people of various age groups causing minor to tremendous discomfort of the jaw joint. When conservative treatments like pain relievers, mouth guards, and oral splints fail to give relaxation from symptoms, chiropractic care with its hands-on evaluation and adjustment of joints can greatly help in targeting the exact locations of weakness. This reduces dependence on drugs and provides smoother recovery than invasive surgical methods.

 

Here are 3 Helpful Ways to Handle Tech Anxiety

Honestly, tech anxiety is understandable. After all, technology is constantly evolving, introducing new challenges and uncertainties so that things can get overwhelming.

Still, it is a huge part of everyday life – from how we get access to emergency services to how we stay in touch with everyone and even ourselves.

You want to keep a handle on things, so here are some tips to get you started.

Get Hands-On with Tech Skills

Splitting up tech into bite-sized chunks is key for effective learning. It stops you from drowning in information and helps you truly get what each part means. This way, you’re not just scratching the surface but really understanding the nitty-gritty, boosting your confidence and making it easier to apply your knowledge. Start with a tech skill or tool you’re keen on – whether that’s a programming language or a software app. Break it down into smaller, digestible concepts or functionalities. Spend focused time on each bit before jumping to the next.

For example, if you’re diving into web development, start with HTML for structure, then slide into CSS for styling, and cap it off with JavaScript for interactivity. Make little projects for each step – like building a basic webpage with HTML, styling it up with CSS, and adding cool features with JavaScript.

Find a Tech Tribe

Hanging out in tech communities is like having a secret stash of wisdom, diverse viewpoints, and a bunch of experts who’ve been there, done that. It speeds up your learning and gives you a hand when you’re stuck, which is really handy in this tech journey.

Check out online forums, social media groups, or local tech meet-ups matching your interests. Get into conversations, throw your questions out there, and share what you’re figuring out. Be cool with feedback, and toss your hat into collaborative projects to build connections in the tribe.

For example, join the coding crowd on platforms like Reddit. Bring up your coding puzzles, chat about the latest tech buzz, and maybe even team up on a mini project with your newfound tech pals to level up your skills.

Create Tech-Free Zones

Of course, it’s a good idea to hit pause when you can. It’s your ticket to less stress, no burnout, and a happier headspace. Think of it as unplugging for a bit, so you’re not 24/7 hooked to the digital world.

Tag specific spots or times in your day whwhenech is a no-go zone. Maybe it’s meals, pre-sleep moments, or certain spots in your home. For example, declare your dining table a no-tech zone during meals and really lay down the law so that there are absolutely no devices.

Taking steps to handle your anxiety surrounding tech is commendable and certainly rewardable. Trying out these tips is a good way to ease into a healthier relationship with technology.

4 Red Flags Your Manufacturing Equipment Needs to Be Replaced

In the world of manufacturing, your efficiency relies directly on the tools you’re given to be able to carry out your duties. How reliable your equipment is will play a critical role in how well you meet your targets, and meet the standards of your customers demands. However, despite how much you invest in the best possible equipment, over time, even the most robust machinery eventually wears down. Nothing lasts forever, and machinery is no exception. As such, it will need to be replaced at some point.

However, it doesn’t necessarily always need to be replaced. Sometimes all it calls for is a repair. So, what are the telltale signs that your equipment needs to be replaced rather than simply repaired? Here are some of the red flags you should look out for.

Frequent Repairs

Machinery is only meant to be repaired so many times. If you’re making the same repairs for the same problems over and over again, then it’s an indication that it’s probably time to replace the machinery altogether. Frequent breakdowns are not the way that machinery should be operating.

Constant repairs are usually an indication that your machinery has worn down to the point that it’s time to admit defeat. Even though repairs may cost less than a full replacement, when you add up all the repairs over time, you may find that frequent repairs are much more expensive than simply replacing failing machinery.

Incompatible With Latest Updates

Some technology requires frequent updates. After a machine gets too old, it may not even be compatible with the latest software updates, and as such this is a pretty big indication that it’s time to buy a new one. Besides, running older machines on the latest updates will often result in a sluggish performance that will only hinder your productivity. As much as you would like your machinery to last forever, everything has a lifespan, especially in the world of electronics.

Lacks Latest Features

Even though you may consider yourself a traditionalist, and you’re convinced you don’t need all the bells and whistles of the latest versions of technology, the truth is that you could be doing yourself a disservice by not upgrading. The latest state-of-the-art technology can totally enhance your business, by significantly boosting your efficiency, and even reducing your overall energy consumption.

If you hope to stand up against the competition, then you should seriously consider getting rid of outdated inefficient technology, and make room for the new.

Customer Complaints

If you notice that your customers are complaining about issues that are directly linked to the quality of your technology, then this is nothing to be ignored. Declining product quality may be a result of outdated or malfunctioning equipment. After all, older technology may struggle to maintain the same precision as newer technology. If you hope to maintain your reputation and keep customers happy, it’s worth considering replacing your outdated machines.

Declining product quality may be a result of outdated or malfunctioning equipment. So, if you hope to maintain your reputation and keep customers happy, it’s worth considering replacing your outdated technology.

 

3 Ways To Support Causes You Believe In

In this world, there are all kinds of causes that need our support and attention. So when you find one that you really care about and believe in, you can feel a pull to support them in any way that you can. But for many people, it can be hard to know just what you can do as an individual to help this cause and the people who will benefit from it.

So whether you’re trying to get more support for police officers or services for the unhoused, here are three ways that you can support causes that you believe in.

Volunteer For Them

Your time is one of the most valuable resources that you have and that you can give to a cause. Because there are so many things for causes that take actual time and manpower to accomplish, having actual volunteers around who are willing to do these tasks can be extremely helpful for any cause.

If you have some time, talent, or other ability that you’re willing and ready to share with your chosen cause, contact the cause itself or any local chapters that might be near you and ask what you can do to help them. Consider setting up a schedule with them where you give of your time or talents on a regular basis so that they can get the maximum amount of help from you and you can assist them in helping the greatest number of people.

Give Of Your Own Resources

Along with your time and any talents that you have that could be beneficial to the cause you’re wanting to work with, you can also donate more monetary resources to the cause as well. This is one thing that most people think of when they consider donating or helping a cause, and for good reason.

It takes a lot of funds to help people and play a part in real change for the group that you’re working with. So if you have extra money that you can contribute to the cause, consider doing this on a regular basis as well.

Share Your Passion With Others

A great way that you can help any cause that you believe in is to share their story with others and get them just as passionate about helping this group as you are. Since there’s only so much time or money that you yourself can donate to this cause, if you’re able to encourage other people to share their time or money as well, the good that you’ve been able to bring to this cause has just grown exponentially. So share what you’re doing on social media, talk about it within your community, and more to get the word out.

If you want to better support the causes that you believe in, consider using the tips mentioned above to help you find some ways that this can be done.

 

3 Most Common Reasons for Car Accidents

Car accidents are unfortunate, yet happen more often than you might like to think. The severity can range from a few minor scratches to extreme injury and even death. If you hope to stay safe on the road, understanding the most common reasons behind these accidents can help reduce your risk of getting hurt. Here are some of the most common reasons car accidents happen, and what you can do to prevent them.

Distractions

Distracted driving is up there as one of the leading causes of car accidents. Since we live in a technological era with electronic devices that distract us throughout the day, this can pose a problem on the road. With smartphones, connected watches, and even Bluetooth car systems, drivers have more distractions pulling their attention away from the road than ever.

Yet, technology isn’t the only thing to blame— even something as simple as taking a bite of a sandwich, or talking to the other passenger can result in a serious accident. Try to stay focused on the road 100% of the time when driving. The more you can stay strict with this, the less likely you are to get in a car accident.

Speeding

Driving fast is also high on the list as a major cause of car accidents. People are rushed to get to where they need to go, and as such, they drive past the speed limit. Unfortunately, this doesn’t give them or other drivers on the road enough time to react in an unexpected situation. You never know when an animal could jump in front of the road, or another driver could cut you off, so going past the speed limit means you’re even higher at risk for these obstacles.

Speeding doesn’t just affect your reaction time either. Speeding reduces your visibility of the road, and can also increase your chances of an accident and certain weather conditions. Remember, you are not the exception to the rule, and speed limits were put in place for a reason.

Driving Under the Influence

While some people may refer to it as “drunk driving,” the truth is that there are all sorts of substances beyond alcohol that can impair your ability to properly operate a vehicle. Many of these substances are entirely legal, which makes people believe that they can get behind the wheel after consuming them. However, anything that changes your sober state of mind and slows your reaction time isn’t just putting yourself at risk for an accident, but also other drivers on the road. Impaired driving should be avoided at all costs, even if what you’ve consumed is “legal.” Use your better judgment and remember, impaired driving doesn’t just affect you.

Is an Electric Toothbrush a Good Choice for Arthritic Seniors?

In the ever-changing world of personal healthcare, seniors often wonder about using electric toothbrushes. This question is particularly common among those living in assisted homes and struggling with arthritis.

This article breaks down how handy an electric toothbrush can be for them. We’ll talk about all things from their convenience to dental health perks, making it simple and easy to understand even for non-experts.

Ease of Use for Arthritic Hands

Choosing a toothbrush can be hard for seniors with arthritis. Using a regular one may cause them discomfort, and the result often isn’t satisfying enough. Here’s where electric ones come in handy! They have bigger handles and automated movements, so there’s no need to flex those muscles too much or struggle with tricky grips anymore.

If you’re feeling pain moving your hands around, just guide it along your teeth instead of doing all that scrubbing stuff yourself. It turns brushing into an easy task, even when dealing with joint pains.

Effectiveness in Oral Hygiene Maintenance

For seniors, clean teeth and gums are so important. They’re more at risk for icky stuff like gum diseases or tooth decay. Electric brushes do a better job of cleaning than manual ones. They can get to those hard-to-reach spots.

This is great news if you’ve got arthritis, making it tough to brush exactly right every time. With an electric one’s constant movements, your mouth gets the VIP treatment with less effort on your part. It’s all about keeping that dazzling smile in tip-top shape!

Adaptability and Customization Options

Electric toothbrushes come with a range of features that can be adapted to suit individual needs. Do you have arthritis and worry about brushing too hard? Look for models with pressure sensors to protect those sensitive gums.

They also have different modes, like ‘sensitive,’ ‘gum care,’ and even a deep clean option, so you can pick what best fits your mouth’s mood that day. Do you need softer bristles or something special in terms of cleaning? Just switch up the brush head. It gives you total control over how gentle (or thorough) your brushing session goes.

Long-Term Oral Health Benefits and Considerations

Getting an electric toothbrush is a win for any senior’s mouth in the long run. Regular use means healthier gums, fewer cavities, and better overall oral hygiene. That can boost your whole health, too.

But remember to check how much it costs or when you’ll need new brush heads. They might be pricier upfront than manual brushes. However, down the line, fewer dental issues could mean some serious savings, making them pretty cost-friendly, especially if arthritis makes brushing tough.

Conclusion

Electric brushes are a big thumbs-up for seniors with arthritis. They’re easy to handle, do the cleaning job well, and adapt to your needs. Plus, they take good care of your mouth in the long run. If you’ve got joint pains making brushing tricky, then investing in one could be a total game changer!

 

3 Tips For Packing For A Weekend Away

For people who chronically overpack, packing for just a weekend away can be a real challenge. While you might know logically that you only need to pack a few things, it’s so easy to start packing only to realize that you’ve packed enough to last for the entire week rather than just the weekend. Luckily, there are things that you can do to ensure that when you’re packing for a weekend, you don’t wind up with far more than you need and having to take up more space than is necessary.

To help you see how this can be done, here are three tips for packing for a weekend away.

Start With The Right Sized Bag

The first thing that you want to do when packing for a weekend away is to choose the right sized bag to pack in. Ideally, you should try to choose something like a leather tote or weekender bag, as these are meant to have enough space to pack for a day or two without requiring you to use a larger bag.

Additionally, if you’re going to be going somewhere that requires you to fly, it makes sense to pack in a bag that you’ll be allowed to carry onto the plane with you rather than having to check. Because if your checked bag gets lost, you won’t have enough time at your destination to really wait for it before you need to be headed back home at the end of the weekend. For this reason, it’s wise to pack in a bag that you can just keep with you the entire time without it being inconvenient.

Choose Items Based On Versatility

Now that you have the bag that you’re going to pack in for your weekend away, it’s time to choose what you’re going to pack in that bag.

Because you’re only going to be gone for a day or two, you really don’t need to bring much. BUt something that can make it seem like you’ve brought more than you actually have is choosing items that will give you a lot of versatility. For example, if you bring two to three items that can mix and match well to make different outfits based on weather or occasion, these are the perfect things to bring for a weekend away.

Make Sure To Keep Toiletries Separate From Clothes

It’s not only clothes that you’ll be packing for your weekend away. In addition to clothing, you’ll also need accessories.

To make sure that your few items of clothing stay fresh and clean when packed, you’ll want to do everything in your power to keep your toiletries separate from your clothes. This should include things like wrapping toiletries in spill-proof containers and enclosing them in a different part of your bag so messes can’t be made.

If you have a weekend away coming up, consider using the tips mentioned above to help you pack.

3 Tips For Accessorizing To Better Style Your Looks

If you’re really wanting to be considered stylish, you’ve got to do more than just wear your clothes. What you really need to do is start accessorizing and styling yourself so that every outfit that you wear is unique to you and adds to your personal style. But if this isn’t something that you’re familiar with yet, knowing how to do this can be a challenge. Luckily, there are some tricks you can use to help make accessorizing much easier for you.

To help you see how this can be done, here are three tips for accessorizing to better style your looks.

Use Accessories To Make All New Looks

When purchasing clothes, it makes sense to buy quality products that you can wear time and time again. However, when you do this, it can sometimes feel like you’re just wearing the same thing day-in and day-out. This is where accessorizing comes in.

When you effectively use accessories to style your looks, you can have a completely new look even when wearing very similar clothes. By changing up your belt, jewelry, shoes, and hair, you can make a similar outfit look completely different. So if you really want to add variety to your wardrobe, accessories are the way to do it.

Go Bold With Your Accessories

While it’s nice to have some classic and stylish accessories that you can use to add some glam to your more basic looks, where accessories can really be used to up your style game is to bring some boldness.

Even for the most basic of looks, if you’re able to play with colors and patterns with your accessories, especially with things like your vintage handbags, you can make your whole look much bolder without having to go with a big, bright color with your clothes. This can help your looks retain their sophistication while also helping you to stand out and make a statement with the clothes and accessories you’re wearing.

Take Care Not To Overdo It

Although it’s fun to play with your accessories and use them to make your outfits really sizzle, you’ll want to make sure you’re walking the line between effectively accessorizing and overdoing it.

Something that you’ll want to consider as you’re choosing your accessories is how powerful the pieces are that you’re wearing. If you’re trying to style multiple powerful pieces in one outfit, you may run the risk of overdoing it. So before you add something else to your look, consider thinking about how less can often be more in many style situations.

If you want to have better style and more completed looks, consider using the tips mentioned above to help you with your accessories.

 

5 Tips for Making Your Mortgage Payment On Time, Every Time

Many people strive to achieve the American dream of homeownership. Finding that perfect place to call home can be a process, but once completed and you are moved into your new home, it can feel like a great accomplishment. But the journey of homeownership doesn’t end with the purchase. Most homeowners these days take out a loan to be able to purchase a house, and that loan needs to be repaid.

This phase begins with ensuring you keep up with your monthly required mortgage payments in order to keep your home. As a new homeowner, you may be wondering how to make sure you stay on top of your monthly payments. You don’t want to accidentally forget to pay on time or not be able to afford the monthly payments, as this could result in late fees and the potential for foreclosure.

Our home loan experts have a few tips to help you ensure that, once you secure your mortgage and own your own home, you are able to pay off your mortgage on time and in full. From mortgage payment comparison ahead of time to budgeting and utilizing automatic payments, you can achieve financial success.

1. Use a Mortgage Payoff Calculator to Ensure You Can Afford Your Monthly Payments

Before you even start the homebuying process and all of the necessary steps of finding a mortgage lender and searching for the perfect place to call home, you need to know how much home you can afford. So spend some time researching how much money you will need for your monthly mortgage payments.

You can start with an online mortgage payment comparison calculator like this one by Capital Credit Union to compare mortgage payments using different loan amounts to see what kind of payment fits in your financial budget. This will help you ensure you’re able to make your monthly mortgage payments every month and still comfortably stay within your financial means.

2. Create a Financial Budget to Make a Mortgage Payoff Plan

Once you have successfully closed on your new home, it’s important to make your mortgage payments on time each month. Missed payments could result in foreclosure and losing your house, and late payments could result in late fees, increasing the amount you pay for your loan overall. On-time payments will help you avoid both of these, and the best way to ensure timely payments is to create a budget that includes your monthly mortgage payments and stick to it. Here’s how:

Analyze Your Spending Habits

To successfully make a financial budget, start by analyzing your spending habits. Review a few months of bank and credit card statements, and note how you spend your funds on a weekly and monthly basis. Divide expenses into two categories: essential and nonessential. Essential costs include payments you can’t miss, such as your mortgage payment and utility bills. Nonessentials include more flexible costs, such as entertainment expenses or the price of your morning lattes.

Next, add up all the income for your household. This includes your paychecks, any freelance income, payments from retirement funds or for disability, and so on. Compare this total with your spending needs. Do these amounts balance? Are you over budget or under? If you’re over, are there nonessential expenses you can cut to even things out? For instance, cutting back on fancy coffees could save you upwards of $5 a cup. That savings can add up over a month.

Create a Monthly Spending Plan

Once you have reviewed your spending habits and income, make an itemized, dated list of all funds coming in and going out, including your monthly mortgage payment. Add a row for savings with a dollar amount you are comfortable with. It’s always recommended to have savings for emergencies, such as home repairs, vehicle repairs, medical needs, and any extra unexpected expenses that may arise.

Make sure that on the due dates for large payments, such as your mortgage, you will have enough money on hand to pay in full. If the timing doesn’t match up, see if you can shift due dates around to ensure you’ll have the cash you need on hand.

3. Set up an Automatic Payment Schedule for Mortgage Payments

Once you have a functional financial budget in place and are sticking to your fiscal plan, it is a great idea to set up automatic withdrawals from your bank account to ensure timely monthly payments for your mortgage. If you prefer to use a separate checking account just for your mortgage payments and set up your direct deposits with your employer so that a portion of each paycheck gets sent to the checking account for mortgage payments while the rest goes to your spending account for the rest of your budget items. This will ensure you have the right amount in your account when your mortgage payment comes around each month.

4. Pay More Than the Minimum Required Payment

Another way to ensure you pay the full amount on your mortgage each month is to pay a little extra as you are able to fit additional payments into your monthly financial budget. This can help you get a little ahead in case you slip up one month. Paying extra money each month toward your principal balance can also help you pay off your mortgage early, saving you interest over the course of your mortgage term.

5. Make Bi-Weekly Payments Instead of Paying Monthly

Making biweekly payments on your mortgage each month can help you spread out the amount of money you need to pay more evenly, and each payment will be half of the cost of a full mortgage payment. Having smaller lump sums to pay more frequently can help your finances flow more smoothly, thus helping to ensure you pay your mortgage on time each month. Not only does it help to spread out smaller payments over the course of your mortgage payoff time frame, but it also will add two extra half payments each year, thus saving you money on interest in the long run.

If you are in Wisconsin and looking for a reliable mortgage lender in your area, contact Capital Credit Union today. We can help you with mortgage payment comparison and planning your budget so you can make your mortgage payments on time, every time.

 

 

 

Do I Need More Than One Unit for a Dual-Zone Air Conditioning System?

If you are a homeowner looking to save money, conserve energy, maximize efficiency, and dramatically improve your home’s overall comfort levels, a dual-zone air conditioner is one of the best investments you can make. This revolutionary type of HVAC technology is particularly excellent if there are rooms in your home that are regularly left unoccupied or if you have noticed that certain areas are vastly warmer or cooler than others.

Dual-zone air conditioners can cool different rooms differently, depending upon your preference. But if a dual-zone system can do the job of multiple air conditioners, does it require multiple units? In this article, we’ll explain the particulars of how this relatively new—and increasingly popular—cooling technology works and what equipment you’ll need to begin taking advantage of it.

What Are Dual-Zone HVAC Systems?

Dual-zone HVAC systems divide your house according to zones. Using multiple thermostats, sensors, and modulating dampers, the system can control the temperature within these different zones. Each zone is controlled by its own thermostat, allowing you to set different temperatures for different areas of the home. Dual-zone systems can be used for your air-conditioning system as well as your heating system. You keep each area of your house set to the ideal temperature, even if that means heating one space while cooling the other simultaneously.

It’s possible your household members have different preferences and the ideal temperature is not the same for each person. Whereas in the past, this may have led to some nasty arguments, with dual-zone cooling, it’s now possible to increase the temperature in one zone and reduce it in another, catering to different temperature goals. Maybe one part of your house gets hotter than the rest as a result of less-than-ideal ventilation. With a dual-zone system, you can keep that room cooler without freezing the rest of the house.

Many people, especially those who work from home, spend the majority of their time in only one or two rooms of the house while the rest of the home remains empty for most of the day. If this is the case, why waste energy (and money) cooling the empty rooms? If you live in a two-story house and are downstairs for the day, turn down the thermostat upstairs. Program the thermostat to switch on when you retire upstairs at the end of the day. With a dual-zone air conditioner, you can personalize the settings to fit your household’s specific needs.

How Does Dual-Zone HVAC Work?

The first step in setting up a dual-zone air conditioner is dividing your house into zones, or areas of the house. You should discuss where, exactly, these zones will be with your HVAC installer. Most homeowners are satisfied by dividing their homes into just two areas: usually either upstairs and downstairs or, otherwise, the front of the house and the back of the house. There is no limit to zoning, however. If you wish, you can opt to have every single room in the home serve as its own HVAC zone.

Each zone will have its own thermostat connecting to a central control panel. Even though there are multiple thermostats, there is no need for multiple units. The HVAC dampers regulate the airflow of both heating and cooling systems, meaning only one unit is necessary. These zoned systems allow for one unit to control heating and cooling in multiple areas or rooms.

How does zoning work with a single unit? The zoning dampers, which are valves or plates, are installed in the ducts within your house. Or, if your system is ductless, they are installed directly at the air outlets. These dampers regulate the airflow by opening and closing. The dampers open, allowing cool or warm air through, then close once the room reaches the desired temperature set by the thermostat. Once the damper closes, it blocks the airflow. Whenever you change the setting of the thermostat, a message is sent to the central control panel signaling the change.

What Are the Benefits of Installing a Dual-Zone HVAC?

There are several key benefits to a dual-zone air conditioner and a dual-zone heater. Zoning enables you to heat or cool one area (or zone) of the house rather than wasting valuable (and expensive) energy on unoccupied spaces. Making the switch to a dual-zone system will improve the overall thermodynamic efficiency of your home. In layman’s terms, this means you’ll start saving on your energy bill almost immediately.

Besides the cost savings, convenience is also a major reason many people choose to switch to zoned HVAC systems. Multiple thermostats offer vastly increased control over the temperature in the home, allowing each occupant to enjoy their own preferred comfort level.

Zoning can also improve air quality by reducing particulate matter and other such impurities from circulating throughout the home. While all HVAC systems filter the air somewhat, dust, pollen, and pet dander will often still be caught up in the cycle and can contribute to asthma, allergies, and other respiratory conditions. Zoned air conditioning reduces the amount of air that needs to circulate, directly contributing to a dramatic reduction in pollutants as well.

Is HVAC Zoning Right for You?

You may want to consider installing a dual-zone HVAC system if you have a multi-level home, high ceilings, or large windows. Any of these features can dramatically affect the temperatures of your home since warm air always rises toward the top of the home and large windows let in more sunlight—and therefore more heat. Multi-level homes and high ceilings can often leave lower levels uncomfortably cold while top floors remain hot and stuffy.

If these situations sound familiar to you, or if you simply are tired of adjusting the thermostat every time you leave one room to enter another, then a dual-zone air conditioner may just be right for you.

If you decide that a dual-zone HVAC system is an appropriate choice, your next step should be to contact a reputable contractor in your area, such as Entek HVAC. Contractors like these can provide expert service and top-quality products to ensure your air conditioning is the best that it can possibly be.