Don’t Close Off Your Vents to Save Money this Winter

You may have heard in the past that closing your heating vents in the unused rooms of your home saves you money. This practice was used in a much earlier time when homes were heated from a central location, such as a fireplace.

This worked in the past. Today it’s a different story.

Today, central heating and air conditioning is the standard in homes. Closing the vents in less used rooms can actually raise your energy costs.

This is why closing your heating vents will cost you money:

Heating and cooling systems now are designed to heat or cool the entire home; they’re sized according to this need. If you close vents you are shutting off a section of airflow, which in turn increases the air pressure within the system. This increases the amount of leakage from the ductwork.

If too many vents are closed your furnace may even break down. This may happen because your heating and cooling system relies on a certain amount of airflow to maintain a certain temperature. Reducing airflow in your furnace can cause furnace burners to shut down to prevent overheating and possible damage to your system.

If this happens your system will no longer produce heat.

The fundamental problem with the theory of closing off vents is that closing them changes what comes out in particular locations. It doesn’t change what your heating and cooling system is trying to do, that is trying to move or produce heat.

The only way closing vents off would work is if closing a vent signaled to your blower to move less air and your heating and air conditioning system in turn produced less heat.

If you’re looking to control the individual temperatures in unused rooms a ductless heating and cooling mini split system is a great option. These units heat and cool certain rooms when needed. This is a smart flexible solution. Contact Genz-Ryan today we’re here to answer any questions you may have.