Multiple Zones - Closing Doors?

8 years ago

I work in an office building, and we have 5 different units with 5 different thermostats for 5 different areas. These are Office, Lobby, Multi Purpose Room, Auditorium Left and Auditorium Right.

Office workers keep leaving the door from the office to the lobby wide open. The Lobby of course has doors to the exterior of the building, and we don't really cool it below 78. The Office ac on the other hand is running a cool 72-78.

My theory is that we're causing the Office AC to run more and use up more energy (and money) by leaving the Office door open to the Lobby. People keep telling me I'm crazy and it doesn't matter.

So whats the truth? Am I crazy and trying to be controlling, or is their any merit to my point?

-John

"Not the Energy Knowledge Guru"

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Comments (4)

klem1
8 years ago
"My theory is that we're causing the Office AC to run more and use up more energy (and money) by leaving the Office door open to the Lobby."

Technically you are correct but on the other hand the lobby AC run's less so energy consumption balance's out. If I were you I'd be more selective on which battles are worth fighting.
John Sullivan thanked klem1
John Sullivan
Original Author
8 years ago
Does it take longer for the AC to recognize 72 if the doors are open? Isn't the cold air falling down, and out the door, into the larger lobby? So then the Office AC is taking longer to hit 72?

And yes, I do pick my battles, this may not be one worth fighting. The AC unit died last week, and my thoughts were because we constantly leave that door open.

All 5 units were installed at the same time, this is a new building from last April.
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functionthenlook
8 years ago
Unless you are paying the utility bills I wouldn't worry about it. Management/owners don't like being told how to run their business. Unless management asks everyone for cost saving measures I wouldn't say anything.
PRO
Austin Air Companie
8 years ago
A HVAC zone is best suited to an area of a structure in which the zone of that structure has 4 walls and a door.

The idea is that the zone of the structure is cooled or heated independently from that of other areas or zones.

If the zone of the structure is opened to other areas, there is a less ability to control the climate within the zone. The system will attempt to keep the zone at the temperature you select / in a open zoned area that bleeds into other areas this can make it more difficult to maintain preferred temperatures depending on a host of various factors.

Whether the zone is in an open area or closed area typically does not cause a system to break down, or die a sudden death. Certainly by running a zoned system in which the zones are open to other areas of the structure will cause the system to operate a bit harder but it is still much less than if the HVAC system was an non-zoned system.

With that said, the assumption to all of this is that the zoned system was not only designed properly but also installed properly. Given that this is a commercial building doesn't make this any more likely. So just realize the death of an AC system is more likely to be attributed to design problems than whether you leave a door open or closed to a zone of that system.

In terms of the commercial market, an HVAC system (zoned or not zoned) that makes it beyond 5 years break down free is well within the margin of error. Typically residential market hovers between the 8 to 10 year range for comparison.

I service the Katy, Texas area. (mostly residential)