NEW Product: Stand Alone Damper Control using ANY Thermostat

Sometimes, full blown zone controls are not needed to solve an airflow or temperature related issue in the ducting of a home or other building.

One example might be a bonus room, a basement or a 3 season room that could benefit from some air occasionally but doesn’t necessitate a zone control system with all of the features included with our SmartZone products.

For these applications, we have developed a control board that can connect a thermostat directly to a damper for basic control.

With this Damper Direct Controller, you can simply connect any thermostat, a 24vac transformer & hook up your damper (ANY damper will work as long as it is 24V).

The applications for this product are too may to list but, for us, it is just one additional tool in the toolbox for managing comfort and efficiency of your home or building’s HVAC. Contact ecojay.com or us here at ZoningSupply if you have any questions or ideas.

sale

Direct Damper Controller

Sale Price:$39.99 Original Price:$49.99

Need MORE than 50VA for a large system? Use two transformers!

Not everyone knows that an AC transformers can be connected in parallel on the outputs to increase the total power output. A single 50VA transformer (like the one ZoningSupply.com offers) is capable of about 2 amps of output at 24VAC. This is more than enough for most typical systems up to 4 zones that have only 1 or two dampers per zone, however, some situations call for more dampers. If this is the case for your application, you can find some 75VA or even 100VA transformers for sale, but there is another way. If you use two transformers and connect them as shown in the image below, you will have a 100 VA output.

24V AC Transformer (50VA)

$24.99

One critical detail to note, these MUST be connect with the same “POLARITY” In other words, the two terminals on the left of the transformers must connect together and the two on the right must connect together.

It would be a good practice to plug both of these transformers into the same power strip to also ensure that the polarity is maintained on the 120Vac input as well.

New and improved power open/close damper motors available NOW!

We are exited to share our newest upgrade to the SmartZone system. We have worked with Belimo to provide the best damper motor in the industry for over 10 years and NOW it’s going to be even better!

Our standard Power Open / Power Close damper motor is now DOUBLE the mechanical power (torque) but still uses the same amount of electrical power. Is it a miracle? Is it magic? Have we finally perfected perpetual motion to conserve energy? Well… NO, it is a pretty basic matter of physics (rigid body mechanics). The motor is moving at a slower speed (60 seconds to travel 90 degrees instead of 35 seconds). This allows the gearing ratio to have a higher torque at the output shaft!

The slower speed motor may, at first, sound like a negative but in the world of dampers and HVAC ductwork there are many advantages. A slower speed means quieter movement & less air noise. It means higher reliability because of less wear on bearings & other moving parts. A slower motor can also improve the effectiveness of all types of pressure relief (Bypass, Dump Zones & SmartStatic).

In case you were wondering, the older 35 second motor will continue to work and be available for the next approximately 12 months. However, there is no issue with connecting some 35 second and some 60 second motors to a SmartZone system. They will play together nicely! You could even have a mix of motors on the same zone using the damper wiring splitter. This will allow anyone with an existing system to add a 60 second motor with no problems.

We are proud of this new motor improvement and want our customers to share in the excitement.

SmartZone gets a new BOX!

Along with a new product enclosure, we are proud to announce our new look that includes an ECOJAY SmartZone product box.

Ecojay product box

All of the current and new SmartZone controls & accessories that use the latest enclosure will be packaged in this stunning new box.

Designed with precision and crafted with care, the ecojay box is more than just packaging; it's a statement. The sleek and modern design reflects our commitment to aesthetics, ensuring that your product arrives not only in perfect condition but with a touch of sophistication. Unboxing becomes an experience in itself, leaving a lasting impression from the moment you lay eyes on it.

Environmental responsibility is at the core of our values, and we are proud to share that the ecojay box is made from sustainable materials. Our commitment to reducing our ecological footprint is reflected in every aspect of its production, from material selection to manufacturing processes.

As we unveil the ecojay box, we invite you to embark on a journey with us – a journey where innovation meets elegance, and functionality meets finesse. Join us in embracing the future of packaging as we redefine the way you experience our products.

The ecojay box is not just a box; it's a symbol of our dedication to delivering excellence and a testament to our vision for a future where every detail matters. Get ready to unbox the extraordinary – because at ecojay, we believe you deserve nothing less.

Okay, okay… maybe it’s just a box but we like it.

2024 NEW ecojay enclosure

Thanks for your continued support and interest in ecojay products. This new box symbolically ushers in our new attention to customer experience. And it is the first of many innovations & new products to come.

Prevent Axillary Heat from turning on manually!

There are sometimes certain circumstances that might necessitate an ability to manually turn OFF the axillary heat function of a Heat Pump.

When using a heat pump, it is usually necessary to have an “Axillary Heat” source for the times of the year when the weather is just too cold for the compressor to be effective enough to provide sufficient heat. Depending on the location or part of the world you live in, this could be electric heat strips, gas furnace (including propane), oil or even wood fired axillary heat. Depending on the cost of these resources, it is often desirable to prevent the AUX heat from running unless absolutory necessary. With SmartZone, the “AUX” heat is controlled automatically based on the supply air temperature (sensor included with SmartZone). For this reason, in order to prevent AUX heat from turning on when it is not wanted by the homeowner or user of the system we have two different methods possible.

The first method is to control AUX heat from ZONE 1 thermostat then set the thermostat to disable AUX heat under whatever conditions are desired. This method has two drawbacks, it does not prevent AUX heat when other zones are calling and it REQUIRES zone 1 to ever allow AUX heat to energize.

The second method is to use a relay and a manual switch to enable and disable AUX heat whenever desired. Below is a wiring diagram for how this method works. It is a full proof way to keep AUX heat from energizing when it is not needed/wanted. A link is below for the relay needed to make this work (Any standard wall switch from a ‘big box’ store will work)

DPDT RELAY NEEDED

24V Relay - DPDT

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NEW Product: Damper wiring splitter/breakout board

One question that we get quite often is: “Can I connect more than 1 damper to each zone of the SmartZone?” The answer is YES, up to 10 actually.

The next question is usually: “How do I do that since there is only a single terminal and only 1 wire will fit in each position?” The answer to this question is to use a short wire coming out of the terminal then wire-nuts or Wago connectors to attach how many wires needed to accommodate all the dampers you want.

This works fine and will continue to be an acceptable option but we decided that a more elegant solution was in order. SO, we designed the SmartZone Damper Wiring Splitter.

This wiring device allows 4 dampers (or more with daisy-chain) to easily be connected to any model SmartZone or other zone controller. It comes with screwless wiring terminals and LEDs to indicate open and close position of all dampers. It can be mounted using screws or double stick tape. The obsessive wiring nerd will love the clean and easy wiring that this device can accommodate.

If you have more than 4 (up to 10 dampers) per zone you can use the daisy-chain method to connect with the SmartZone Damper Wiring Splitter.

If you have this many (OR even more) dampers on your system, you should also check out this article about using a relay when necessary.

24V AC Transformer (50VA)

$24.99

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24V Relay - DPDT

$14.99

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Sneak Preview... NEW SmartZone Enclosure is comming soon!

For over 10 years, ECOJAY has used it’s iconic enclosure for SmartZone and related products. It was first conceived as a drastic improvement and upgrade from the original SmartZone enclosure first brought to market almost 20 years ago.

The NEW enclosure (Verson 3) started in the design process during 2020 but was shelved because of obvious reasons. It was, thankfully, resurrected after an increased focus on weight reduction for shipping. This has given us the opportunity to tweak and improve some of the few shortcomings of the Version 2 enclosure.

With the aid of modern design tools such as Fusion 360 and 3-D printing for rapid prototyping, our process of designing a new enclosure is much more thorough and exacting. This means we could try lots and lots and lots of new things to dial in the most durable and user friendly enclosure system on the market.

COMING IN 2023

Over 30 Prototypes and as many tests for functionality and durability
Version 3 ECOJAY SmartZone Enclosure

FINALLY!!!! Fresh Air Control with Outdoor Temperature Control

In 2013, v8E firmware was released for SmartZone and since then we have had a vision of the perfect Outdoor Temperature Sensor/Controller to match with the built-in Advanced FRESH AIR capabilities of the SmartZone-4X.

More information about these FRESH AIR Features click here.

Until now, we have recommended several different methods to limit the function of Fresh Air when the outside air temperature is too high or two low using off-the shelf parts. We have used professional controls such as the RANCO ETC, standard thermostats & remote sensors, and even some questionable temperature sensors from Amazon. These have all had pitfalls, some more than others but the common one is complexity of wiring and configuration. When you are recommending a control device that is intended to last 10 to 20 years & up to the lifetime of the home, it is important to think about maintenance and usability for future occupants. ALL of the solutions up until now have been potential problems with regard to this maintenance/usability issue.

NOW, we are proud to introduce the product that we have always envisioned! The OUTDOOR AIR THERMOSTAT is an accessory for the SmartZone-4X that allows you to take full advantage of the advanced FRESH AIR features built into SmartZone-4X.

The Outdoor Air Thermostat allows you to set HIGH and LOW outdoor temperatures. Above the HIGH or below the LOW fresh-air intake will not run. In other words, you can tell the SmartZone-4X that you do not want fresh air to run when it is too HOT and/or too COLD outside.

Also, the Outdoor Air Thermostat gives you the ability to “demand” fresh air temporarily (in 5 minute increments)… AND, disable (pause) the automatic fresh air from running using the Outdoor Air Thermostat.

PLUS NOW the Outdoor Air Thermostat can be used to enable the ECONOMIZER (Free Cooling) feature on the SmartZone-4X board. Enthalpy Sensors take into account temperature & humidity to enable or disable the ECONOMIZER feature of SmartZone-4X but the cost and reliability of these types of humidity and temperature sensors can be prohibitive. The Outdoor Air Thermostat can be an affordable and effective way to utilize ECONOMIZER mode on the SmartZone-4X.

ECOJAY's Stand-Alone Damper Control using ANY Thermostat - without Zone Panel

The ECOJAY SmartZone Damper has a special (secret) feature that allows a you to connect a standard 24V thermostat directly to open and close based on the heating or cooling setpoints.

Sometimes you don’t need an entire zoning system to direct or redirect some airflow to an area of the home or building. Using the special feature of the ECOJAY SmartZone Damper can be an easy and inexpensive way to solve some issues with airflow.

NOTE: The thermostat pictured must be a stand-alone thermostat (NOT the same thermostat that is controlling any hvac equipment)

This solution is not a replacement for zoning because it has some flaws that make it unsuitable in a lot of situations. The primary flaw is that this setup doesn't take into account what the equipment is doing (i.e. If the equipment is running in HEATING or COOLING). So, this damper could open based on the thermostat that it is connected to wanting cooling but the equipment is actually heating.

There are some good applications for this simple setup to control a damper. You can also control this damper using a simple switch or timer if the temperature controls are not necessary. See below

PRO-Grade Power Zone Damper (Round)

from $99.99

24V AC Transformer (50VA)

$24.99

TAKE-OFF Zone Damper (Round)

from $99.99

NO BYPASS NEEDED... an inexpensive alternative to some of the over-hyped products on the market.

Over the last couple of years, many new products have been introduced to the Zone Control market that purport to reduce or eliminate the need for a bypass or dump zone pressure relief setup that has been common since the 1980s.

“Bypass Eliminator” or “Static Pressure Equalizer” … whatever you call it, the concept is basically the same no matter which company or product you are talking about. The concept IS, to leak air into NON-calling zones in order to relieve static pressure in the supply duct instead of using a bypass or a dump zone.

This idea is appealing to many who have not wanted or been able to add a bypass/dump zone but still need some pressure relief in the air system.

ECOJAY has a new solution on the market “SmartStatic”, Much like the competitors, SmartStatic is a device that automatically (based on a static pressure sensor) leaks air in the NON-calling zones to relieve air pressure when needed. The SmartStatic can be used with new installs or with any existing system that uses standard 3-wire (power open / power close) zone dampers.

ALSO, the SmartStatic can be used WITH or WITHOUT a bypass/dump damper for the ultimate flexibility and capability to control static air pressure.
iO Controls, ZoneFirst & others have similar solutions that require specialized and expensive accessories and can’t be used in conjunction with any other pressure relief methods.

SmartStatic can control up to 4 zones on each board but can be chained together to control as many zones as needed with a single static pressure sensor. This is much preferable to some of the alternative methods that use multiple sensors and adjustments that can conflict with each other.

sale

SmartStatic - Automatic Pressure Relief

from $79.99

FRESH AIR - SmartZone Automatic Contrtol with RANCO ETC Outdoor Temperature Sensor

Fresh Air is important to indoor air quality (IAQ). All the way back to Benjamin Franklin’s “air baths” and even much earlier in history, we have had some at least vague understanding of the fact that “stale” indoor air can be bad for us and we need to get some fresh air at least once in a while.

In modern homes, windows, doors, insulation , house wraps, roofing and other materials have imporved drastically in the last 40 years and we how have homes and buildings that are getting tighter and tighter. This means that the air outside stays out and the air inside stays in... which is good for efficiency of heating and cooling systems, but not for air quality and overall health. This is why many parts of the world have “fresh air” requirements, meaning simply that they are required to bring in a prescribed amount of outside air in and mix it with the inside air. In the US, a standard callled ASHRAE 62.2 is followed as a guideline for how much outside air in CFM (Cubic Feet per Minute) needs to be brought in based on occupancy & square footage of the home/building. We are not here to discuss the efficacy of the 62.2 because it has some obvious flaws in its sheer simplicity, we just want to show how to apply this method of fresh air but with one additional VERY IMPORTANT feature. We want to simply disable the automatic intake of outside air WHEN the outside temperature is too high or too low. What is too high or too low? This is going to depend on your application including climate, hvac equipment type, home size, your comfort level etc.

NOW AVAILABLE - Ecojay custom Outdoor Temperature Controller

The use of the RANCO temperature controller is no longer necessary with the SmartZone. We now offer a custom outdoor temperature controller that provides MUCH more functionality specific to the SmartZone Fresh Air controls.

• High & Low Temperature Limits

• Enable/Disable Fresh Air

• “Demand” Fresh Air

• NEW: Temperature-based Economizer

For more info about this new and exiting product, take a look here:
https://zoningsupply.com/buy/outdoor-air-thermostat

If you are considering Fresh Air or Economizer with your SmartZone-4X, you will want this accessory!

The primary reason for this “ADVANCED FEATURE” is to prevent outside air that is extreemly hot or cold from coming into the house automatically. Use the instructions and diagrams below to install this RANCO ETC-212000 Temperature sensor and you will have the ability to control automatically the temperature range that Fresh Air is allowed to operate. For example , you could set the upper limit to 90 deg F and the lower limit to 30 deg F and then SmartZone will only operate fresh air when the outside temperature is between 30 and 90 deg.

Before this Outdoor Temperature Advanced Fresh Air Feature will work, the SmartZone-4X must be set up for FRESH AIR control. Click the button below to see an application note about basic fresh air. NOTE: Fresh-Air setup instructions can also be found in the SmartZone System Guide

Fresh Air for better Indoor Air Quality

When people think about increasing the Indoor Air Quality of their homes, most probably think about pollutants like smoke/smog or allergens like pollen. Since these originate “outdoors”, the most logical thought is to close up your home as tight as possible and get an air cleaner of some sort. Although air cleaners like filters can and do help reduce the particles in the air to a varying degree, there is MORE to AIR quality than just “cleaning” the air.

The most critical and often overlooked aspect of having good indoor air quality is FRESH AIR. This, in it’s simplest form, is bringing outside air … inside. The first thought of objection might be that it seems counter-intuitive to bring air in that could have pollutants to try and “clean” the air, however, the EPA and other independant studies by AHRAE have shown that the pollutants like pollen can be 2 or 3x as high as outside air if a home is not properly ventilated. (see link below for sources and further explanation)

EPA recommendations for improving Indoor Air Quality: https://www.epa.gov/indoor-air-quality-iaq/improving-indoor-air-quality

A “properly ventilated” house includes both the intake of fresh air and the exhaust of inside air. Most homes come equipped with plenty of exhaust either in the bathrooms or kitchen vent hood but many do not have nearly enough intake of outside air. As a matter of fact, up until the 2000s, most homes were not equipped with any Fresh Air management at all which means that the only outside air that was coming inside was through cracks around doors and window. You might think this was an accident but it was actually “designed” this way because it has been know for 100 plus years that outside air is necessary for a healthy and clean air environment.

SmartZone-4X has a built-in FRESH AIR controller, that can be used to automatically (or manually) bring fresh air into the building. It was designed as a feature to meet the ASHRAE 62.2 standard but has many additional and useful features that make it more desirable than a standard “Fresh Air Control” like the Honeywell W8150.

Shown below, the SmartZone can be used as a “stand-alone” fresh air controller even without the need for any zoning.

Find out more and learn about the Adavanced Fresh Air control features: FRESH AIR - Enthalpy Control

Buy SmartZone-4X for your Fresh Air control

WiFi Zoning using Wyze Thermostat with SmartZone?

Is this finally an inexpensive, but quality WiFi thermostat to pair with SmartZone for the perfect affordable WiFi HVAC Zoning solution? Short answer… yes, if your biggest driving factor is cost. These, if you can get them from Wyze.com*, are only $79 each. And when you need two or three or four or more for a SmartZone system, this low cost seems quite appealing.

I received a pre-order version (two actually) and have been testing them on the workbench and at home for a few months. Although there were a couple of hiccups when I installed the first one, I haven’t had any issues since installation and have subsequently installed 2 more (in a different location).

Although, they might lack a few of the finer aspects of the nest or some of the flexibility of the ecobee, the Wyze does work and is almost half the cost.

For either Heat Pump or Gas/Electric, etc equipment types, the Wyze works great. It is basic, but everything you need for 90% of customers (including my on personal system).

(Note: there is no remote sensor at the time of writing of this but they (Wyze) do say one is in the works for the future)

*as of this writing August 2021, they are out of stock from Wyze and most re-sellers on ebay or amazon want more for them than retail. When the price goes up, this becomes less appealing because there are good options available at the $150 price range already.

Buy here: https://wyze.com/wyze-thermostat.html

When NOT to use a Wyze…

1. If you need a remote sensor. ecobee or honeywell or nest all have them.
2. If you use the APP all the time. I’m not going to say the app is buggy, but it isn’t quite as robust yet as some of the others like ecobee or nest.

The app works great for me, but we only use the app once or twice per month or so. We mostly interact with the thermostat and only use the app occasionally for remote changing of temperature or to check if it is off while we are out of town. If I used the APP every day as a part of my temperature management, I would probably go with the ecobee or nest.

Also as a brief aside, I DO recommend the Wyze cameras also, but I don’t have much frame of reference because they are the only Wifi cameras I have ever had but I have used them for about 4 years and, for the price, can’t be beat. https://wyze.com/wyze-cam-black.html

With thermostats, however, I do have extensive experience and have tested (or at least played with) most all Wifi thermostats on the market. The Wyze fits the bill as an excellent “budget” WiFi thermostats which makes it a perfect upgrade to a SmartZone system.

COST:

At ZoningSupply.com you can purchase a 4-zone kit (including everything you need except thermostats) starting at $750 ($500 for 2 zones) and $320 for thermostats (4X $79ea). This means for about $1000 you can get everything you need for a full 4-Zone WiFi Zoning System and about $660 for a full Wifi 2-zone SmartZone system.

Check out SmartZone Kits here: https://zoningsupply.com/buy/2-3-or-4-zone-kits

We are not affiliated in any way with Wyze, however, we have reached out to them to see if we could be an authorized reseller to bring WiFi kits to our customers but have not yet heard back… probably because they are always out of stock.

SmartZone earns recognition as "TOP PICK" in zoning from HVACTRAINING101

SmartZone remains the BEST zone control available to upgrade any HVAC (Heating and Cooling) System.

The experts over at HVACTRAINING101 have given their highest honor to the SmartZone product line… we tend to agree :)

See the full article at: https://hvactraining101.com/hvac-zone-dampers/

Where's your Comfort Zone? - SmartZone can help!

During the cold days winter it's nice to get cozy by the fireplace or curl up under a warm blanket.. or in the summer you might find yourself standing in front of the air conditioner vents or a fan for a little relief from the heat.   Is this because it's just not possible for your entire home to be comfortable?  It may be because you are concerned with the energy use or $$ being spent to keep the home cool/warm OR it may be that certain areas of your home just never seem to be comfortable.  If one or more rooms in your home seem to ALWAYS be outside your "comfort zone", Ecojay's SmartZone may be able to help.  Directing airflow (heat/cool) to the rooms that you want, can make rooms in your home comfortable when you want them to be.

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Learn more about how SmartZone will work for you

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SmartZone-4X

Sale Price:$229.99 Original Price:$299.00

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PRO-Grade Power Zone Damper (Round)

from $99.99

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4" 5" 6" 7" 8" 9" 10" 12" 14" 16" 18"

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Home comfort hack: Could ZONE CONTROL improve your home's indoor climate?

Installing zone control in your home allows you to add thermostats to several areas (rooms) so temperature can be controlled throughout the house.  Most homes have only a single thermostat located in a "central" area.  This means the temperature of the whole house is determined at this one spot.  With zone control, temperature is measured and controlled in each zone for more comfort everywhere.

There are many reasons that zone control might be desirable (or even necessary). 

• Homes with two stories where the upstairs is regularly warmer than downstairs during the winter can benefit from zone control.  
• If a house has a fireplace that causes some areas of the home to get too cold when a fire is burning, zone control can help balance the temperature and keep those cold areas warm. 
• Bonus rooms or unused bedrooms can be turned off with zone control when not in use.
• Computer rooms or grow areas that need to be a different (more consistent) temperature than the rest of the house.

Zone control can balance temperatures to  create a comfortable living space throughout your home or create different temperatures throughout a building for varying needs.

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CLICK HERE to find out more about how HVAC Zone Control works and if it will work for you.

What's a TON got to do with AC?

So you've probably heard of someone refer to an air conditioner's size in terms of  "TONS".  Something like "I got a new 4 TON HVAC unit".  This refers, not to physical size, but to the capacity (ability) of the equipment to generate heat.  That's right, even air conditioning (cooling), is sized by it's ability to produce heat.  In the case of air conditioning, the heat is being "pulled" from inside the house and dispersed outside.  This is why there is always an outdoor component (the air conditioning compressor) when you have AC.

Back to TONs... most people thing of a TON as being 2000 lbs. but with regard to HVAC, a TON is a measurement of heat generation per day.

1 TON of air conditioning is a measure equivalent to the amount of heat necessary to melt 2000 lbs of ice (H20) in a 24 hour period.

But how did we get there? A BTU (British Thermal Unit) is the unit we use express heat energy.  One BTU is equivalent to the amount of heat energy released when burning 1 match all the way. When rating an HVAC unit either for heating or cooling, the amount of BTUs per Hour is often sited.  It has been measured that it takes 143 BTUs to melt 1 lb of ice.  Since, 1 TON of ice is 2000lbs, It will take 2000 x 143 = 286,000 BTUs to melt 1 TON of ice.  The ice could be melted by lighting 286,000 matches all at once or by lighting one at a time... In other words, BTUs only tells us how much heat energy is necessary but not over what time period.  It could melt in 1 minute, 1 hour, or even 1 year depending on how the energy is generated.  So, to rate the output of HVAC equipment, someone decided back in the early 1900s (probably someone at Carrier) that it should be done over a 24 HR peroid (1 day).  This is how we get 286,000 BTUs / 24 hrs =~ 11,917 BTUs per hour or commonly know as 12K BTU/hr is equal to 1 TON.

This means that that 4 TON AC unit you have can melt 8,000 lbs of ICE per day or about the same size block of ice as a Suburban.  That's a lot of heat energy!

ADD-A-WIRE with Zone Control

An ADD-A-WIRE device can be used when upgrading to thermostats that need a "COMMON" wire from one that didn't have one... and there is no way to run the additional wire needed.  This device, ranging from $15 to $40 can come in very handy especially in the case of zone control where one or more thermostat does not have enough wires to accomodate a modern thermostat such as a WiFi thermostat.

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Be sure to follow the wiring diagram for the specific model of "ADD-A-WIRE" as well as the system type.  Show here is the LUX Products LPB-WH Power Bridge wired to a GAS/ELECTRIC thermostat and SmartZone-4X controller, however, the basic principal is the same for any application.

All of the different ADD-A-WIRE models come with instructions, read them carefully and follow exactly and you won't have any problems.

For more information about the method of ADD-A-WIRE when there is no way to run an extra wire from your zone panel to your equipment, check out this post:
https://zoningsupply.com/blog/upgrading-thermostats-solving-a-common-problem

From an engineering perspective this is an elegant and simple solution.  Without giving away trade secrets, the ones i have tested use the a half wave bridge using diodes at the thermostat and some simple relay logic plus the another half wave at the equipment (no micro necessary) to use only 1 wire for both Y and G signals.... brilliant.

For more information, or with any questions, please contact us.

Upgrading thermostats; solving a "common" problem

So, maybe you have decided to upgrade to a Wifi thermostat, or even just a standard "programmable" thermostat... only, you come to discover that your old thermostat has one less wire connected to it than the new thermostat needs.   This is usually the "24VAC Common" wire sometimes just called "C" or "24C".   This means that your old thermostat was either mechanical, power stealing, or battery operated... which isn't a problem if you don't want a modern thermostat.  MOST modern thermostats (especially WiFi) need a "C" wire from the 24V transformer to power the thermostat... this means getting a "C" wire to the thermostat.

This isn't a new problem, it started showing up in the 1980s with the first programmable thermostats... over the years, I have suggested and used several different methods to overcome this issue both with zoning and with typical single thermostat applications.  Until recently, I couldn't really recommend anything other than running a new wire... and running a new wire isn't always possible.

METHODS to add "C" Wire

1. Run another wire to the thermostat
   The most straightforward and full-proof method is obvious: run another wire.  If possible, this is ALWAYS your best solution.
2. Power thermostat from separate transformer
   Don't use this method... it is risky and not all thermostats support the ability to separate the "R" from the equipment transformer.
3. Use the "G" wire for "C"
   This method DOES work but it limits the functionality of your thermostat control.  (ie. you will not be able to independently control fan from the thermostat)  The reason this works, is that the equipment automatically turns the fan on during a heating or cooling call, so the "G" wire controlling the fan from the thermostat is only necessary to turn the fan on by itself.  You will NOT be able to turn fan on from the thermostat by itself with this method.
   NOTE: This works with MOST equipment, but you should check or test before employing this method. (#3)
4. ADD-A-WIRE Device
   It is the BEST method and really the only method I would use if a wire cannot be run.  This is a relatively new concept to me... it has been around for a few years at least but we just started recommending it within the last 2 years.    Several companies have started offering an "ADD-A-WIRE" device that allows the addition of a "COMMON" wire.  These devices range from $15 - $40 and are very simple to wire (you have to be able to get to your equipment furnace/blower). 

How an ADD-A-WIRE Device works:

It will come in 2 pieces, one is a small box with several connections labled "R", "C", "Y", "G", "W".  You will follow the included wiring instructions to connect this box at your indoor HVAC equipment.  The other piece that comes with the ADD-A-WIRE is a wiring connector with 3 leads, this connects at the back of your thermostat as shown in the wiring instructions.
Once these two pieces are wired properly you will have the "C" you need for any thermostat... it's almost like magic (electrical engineering magic).

NOTE: Make sure all wiring is done with the power to the HVAC equipment OFF at the breaker.

A few different models to choose from (prices on amazon at time of writing)  There are many others available but they all do the same thing (NOTE: we are not compensated by any of these companies or any others for our opinions):

• LUX Products LPB-WH - $18  (Our favorite because it's the easiest to wire)
• Venstar ACC0410 - $27
• Honeywell THP9045A1023 - $15

Lux Products LPB-WH Power Bridge Provides 24V AC Thermostats in Homes without C-Wires

Lux

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For more information about specific use with zoning and zone control systems such as SmartZone... contact us

Another thing to consider:  The ecobee3 and ecobee3 LITE both come with an "ADD-A-WIRE" type device.  So, if you are thinking about a WiFi thermostat and are afraid you will need to add a wire... keep the ecobee in mind.  See our WiFi stat roundup for more info

SmartZone Advanced: Method to reduce/eliminate pressure relief with variable speed fan systems

We have discussed here the myths and facts about zone control and bypass.  As the debate still continues, ecojay SmartZone has yet another innovative way to reduce or possibly eliminate pressure relief (bypass, dump zone, etc) in certain circumstances.
 

REQUIREMENTS:

1. Variable/Multi speed fan (DS/BK/DH* Terminal on equipment)
   *DS/BK/DH energized = High speed fan
2. Two (2) Zone systems only (although a 4 zone board can be used)
3. One of the zones cannot be smaller than 30% of total airflow

This method will only allow high speed fan when BOTH zones are calling.  If only one zone is calling, low speed fan will run.  NOTE: The system, depending on duct sizes, may still require some method of pressure relief even if it is much less.  Typically, a small amount of "leakage" into the largest zone when the smallest zone is calling will accomplish what (if any) pressure relief is needed.  If using ecojay SmartZone dampers, they can be set easily to leak any amount of air necessary.

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SPECIAL NOTE: This method is VERY similar to using zone 1 thermostat for controlling DE-humidification.  For more about this see the article here.

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SmartZone-4X

Sale Price:$229.99 Original Price:$299.00

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PRO-Grade Power Zone Damper (Round)

from $99.99

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4" 5" 6" 7" 8" 9" 10" 12" 14" 16" 18"

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Always find out more by contacting us at ZoningSupply.com about your application.