[RKDinOKC]

Talked to my brother (supposed to be an engineer) about shutting off the heat/ac for rooms I don't use. In home automation information I found individual rooms can have their own thermostats by having those thermostats each operate the main system and also dampers that control the air into each room. In these systems a bypass is installed with a damper that allows air to go from the output of the HVAC unit directly to the return so the air flow thru the HVAC is the same even if you are only push air to one room. This keeps the proper amount of air going thru the HVAC unit so it doesn't strain the blower motor by not letting having only one vent open pressurize the output side of the HVAC unit. This is supposed to let you run multiple zones with one HVAC unit.

My brother says it will damage the HVAC unit anyway because it puts heated or cooled air directly back thru the condenser/heat exchanger. I thought the condenser and heat exchanger heating/cooling was maintained by their own thermostatic controls than the blower and system in general, ie, my circulation fans don't run until the heater box is warmed enough it does any good, and the burners shut off if the air box gets to hot. AND the cooling does the same thing with the compressor so the condenser doesn't freeze up.

My brother claims his HVAC is designed to run different flows so his system can run different zones. His house has a HVAC unit for each zone. One for upstairs and one for down. The house design looks to me like two units were used for space savings and simplicity of ducting and returns.

My brother was zero help when trying to get my front bedroom the same temp as the rest of my house. Instead of 5 degrees warmer both summer and winter. It is the only room in my house that has a west facing wall AND it has a west facing gable over the room. It was weird running a window a/c unit in the winter with snow on the ground! Now that a tree and big shrubs shade that wall and gable from noon on it is the same as the rest of the house.

You think my brother is full of 5hit on the multiple zone bypass thing not working as the home automation stuff says it does?

I think it would be cool to have thermostats in each bedroom and the kitchen. You could have a set temp for the house in general, then have set back thermostats in the bedrooms to make them cooler at night, and another thermostat for the kitchen so it could keep the kitchen cooler when cooking. Besides shutting off bedrooms that aren't in use.