Most efficient use of heating zones

jfurfey

Hello,



My house is heated with natural gas.



The 1st floor living area is a pretty open floor plan and there are 3 heating zones. Is is more efficient and cost-effective to have all 3 zones on, or just use the ones in the rooms I am spending time in? By using just one of them in the room I'm in, am I making it work too hard because the heat from that zone is traveling all throughout the open floor plan anyway?



Thanks for any advice.

nicholas bonham-carter

Zoning question

do all the zones contain the same form of radiation, or is there a mix of radiators, and in floor radiant?

generally, small zones whose BTU needs exceed the lower limits of the firing rate of the boiler can be less efficient.--nbc

jfurfey

Zoning question

All zones have baseboard radiators.