Just using a Trane zoning panel alone will not cure a design issue. Nor would I 'ever' recommend installing sensors. These kinds of systems are proprietary type systems... meaning that Trane will likely put you in another new box that is a proprietary hell of sorts.

When it comes to home builders and zone systems in general I have never seen a 'good' zone system installed by a builder. Why? they are builders. They build and move on. It's extremely rare to find a builder HVAC company that has any sort of 'service' after the sale mentality.

When it comes to HVAC zone systems, these are specialty type systems. There are a number of mind numbing ways to implement --- alot of which leave you with what you have now.

I own two homes with zone systems installed by me. I don't say that to brag, I say that to tell you that I know what I am talking about.

Why sensors are a bad thing when it comes to zoning - they are harder to control. The whole reason for a zone system is: convenience & comfort.

Remember --- these kinds of things are a part of 'design'. The design or lack thereof -- will leave you with what you have right now. It doesn't work.

In addition to all that: A zone system must work in all types of weather. Hot, cold & mild. If it's not done right, you will have trouble --- doesn't matter if the name on the side of the box is Trane, Lennox, American Standard, Carrier, Amana, Goodman or super duper heat and cool.

I can tell you this: You have your work cut out for you. Zone systems are a mine field when it comes to builder installed.

I service the Katy, Texas area.

What is your location? The HVAC system on a new build should not be running continuously. You are wasting energy and are uncomfortable. For these reasons, It is worth investing money into fixing the zoning system you purchased at likely an inflated option upgrade. The question comes down who will pay for it.

Talk to the builder and tell him since the HVAC company has not been able to fix the problem after 10 attempts you want to hire another company and be reimbursed. David Weekley can sustain making $6K less on your house sale.

thanks for the responses. I’ll try to answer your questions all in this post to the best I can. I’m not an HVAC expert so hopefully it all makes sense.

1. It’s a 2 yr warranty as required by the state of Texas. I believe full covergae.

2. 1 system, Trane XR , 3 ton, XCI zoning equipment,

3. it’s not running constantly but definitely close to it. In Dallas, TX.

4. correct, I agree it’s more of a design issue and the Trane dealer just wanted to be consistent and of course make more money. I’m not married to Trane thermostats or zoning distributors.

please see attached photos.

thanks again.

I know this home is probably a tightly sealed, well insulated home. Most new builds are this way in Texas currently and as such are sized with very small equipment than what would otherwise be used as in a decade ago.

There's a few things to understand in this regard... the equipment will run alot under this kind of scenario. That in itself doesn't mean anything is wrong.

Because this is a heat pump, I would first have a separate HVAC company come out and perform a heat pump tune up. This is primarily to find out if the heat pump is working properly. So you want to find a HVAC company that will send a heat pump tech out to diagnose and perform the tune up. (make sure who ever you choose is also knowledgeable in zone systems -- that may be a hard find.)

If it were me, I would not hire a baptized 'Trane' dealer to do this. Only because you'll likely get alot of the same that you've already gotten.

A good way to see the performance of a heat pump to see that it's working in a zone set up ------ open all zones by setting temp high in all zone thermostats. (make sure any strip heat is disabled)

The display on the zone board will tell you supply temp. --- if that temp doesn't hit at least 120 degrees within 5 minutes or so (without strip heat) there is a problem with the heat pump. Preferably I would like to see 130 degrees but it may take some additional time to see those numbers. The heat pump should do this regardless how cold it is out side -- just make sure the heat pump doesn't have any ice or frost on it before conducting the test.

This test is to get to the meat of where the problem may be. The zone board you have isn't a bad board, obviously a bad design and it doesn't matter what controls or equipment you have.

With that said, the warranty you have is with the builder. There is likely some part warranty with the equipment, that won't cover the labor aspect if you choose another company. In addition to all of that -- if it turns out to be a design problem a manufacturer part warranty won't cover that either.

Also realize it doesn't matter that your equipment is 'new'. New equipment can fail due to a long list of reasons.

Thanks , Austin Air Co.

AirCo came out this morning and checked the heat pump and said that it worked fine. The same tech who’s been here multiple times basically said that he’s baffled but he ended up closing the bypass to see if that would help Upstairs. If not, I’m going to write a strong letter/complaint referencing Texas Property Code 27 to the builder to make them fix the problem. The problem is the design of the system and engineering.

The air handler is in the attic, yet it is the upper floor that is having the temperature issue?

Yes, that is correct Mike_home. The first floor is an open layout. Upstairs has multiple rooms. Not sure if that makes a difference.

AirCo came out this morning and checked the heat pump and said that it worked fine. The same tech who’s been here multiple times basically said that he’s baffled but he ended up closing the bypass to see if that would help Upstairs.

OK this sounds like it is probably a design issue. However, the problem with that is that the home builder HVAC industry is built on saying 'it's fine' -- because their liability is built on 2 years of checking and saying it's fine. Once their liability runs out is when they may start saying things are not so fine. When it comes to that it's more about them making more money. That's how things work and it rarely gets any better than that from what I have seen.

Remember, a builder HVAC company specialty isn't fixing anything. Their specialty is building and then moving on to a new build. I know that's not what you want to hear.

So if this bypass that was closed helps the upstairs in heating mode how much likely it is that this causes some other problem when the the weather changes?

Let's see if that will help? In other words he doesn't know? Once you hit the 2 year mark and your warranty runs out, they will start charging you for that kind of reasoning.

This is why HVAC zoning systems are difficult. There are lot of HVAC people out there that simply do not understand them.

I think what you're going to have to do is hire and pay for an independent HVAC contractor to come out there and assess this situation as to what is wrong. Once that is documented as well as the cost of such, then go back to the builder with that information.

As I said previously I would not hire a HVAC contractor that is in the back pocket of Trane brands. (Trane dealer)

In addition to that, you need to hire a HVAC contractor that is a residential based service provider. A commercial service provider most likely will not have the service expertise for residential. Same thing for refrigeration.

If you want a true remedy for this problem you need a Residential HVAC specialist. I can tell you that you will have your work cut out for you to find one. Because people in your position do not like to pay for these kinds of things. If no one gets paid, lets be real here --- no one is going to continue to do it. This is why it probably will be a challenge for you.

This is a local thing. I service Katy, Texas area. So beyond what I print here as advice is all I can do.

The fact that the floor closer to the air handler is having more problems than the one further away suggests there are duct problems. The zoning may or may not be compounding the issue. Have you been able to determine in the attic which duct feeds the first and second floors? Trouble shooting second floor issues with the air handler in the attic should not be difficult. I am skeptical if spending another $6K on zoning improvements is the correct fix.

I agree with your idea about writing the letter to the builder. You have a contract with the builder and he has to make good on it. Did you use a lawyer for the closing? If you did, I suggest a consultation to see what remedies you have in the contract for situations like this.

Mike_home. Yes, I know which ducts are which. It’s a tad bit better now but still an issue. We did not use a lawyer so I’m going to check with my realtor on any suggestions as well on wording to the builder.

thank you!