The Problem with Closing Air Vents in Unused Rooms

October 10, 2017 8:14 pm Published by Leave your thoughts

One of the most significant sources of energy use in your home is your heating and air conditioning system. Whether it’s sunny and warm or chilly and icy, chances are, you will be using HVAC in Oklahoma City, OK for one reason or another all year long to keep the climate in your home as comfortable as possible.

Because of how much use you get out of your system, you have probably considered things that you can do in order to reduce your overall energy consumption. Things like keeping your system regularly maintained and turning your system off when you leave the house can help curb your energy use and save you money every month. Another common thing that homeowners might do for the sake of saving energy is to close the vents in the rooms that don’t need to be cooled or heated at the moment. While this practice is common, it can actually have negative effects for homeowners. Read ahead to learn more!

Why closing your vents can cause problems

Air distribution in your HVAC system is made possible by your unit’s blower. While some of these blowers are able to change speeds to accommodate specific circumstances and changes, most are permanent split capacitor types that are unable to adjust in this way. Regardless of the type of motor in your system, the blower is designed to take air in and then push it back into your home through supply ducts against a fairly significant amount of pressure. Issues arise when this pressure is raised beyond what is normal or necessary. Debris clogging up your ducts or dust buildup in your filter, for example, could restrict airflow greatly in systems that are not able to adjust to pressure differences, and significantly decrease efficiency in those that are.

One thing that can contribute to excess pressure in your system is closed vents. Although you might think that this can save you energy, it can actually do the opposite. Closing your vents increases pressure within your HVAC system, which means that your system will be moving less air less efficiently.

This pressure not only reduces the productivity of your system, it can also create issues with duct leakage. When ducts begin to leak, it means that you will have to crank up your thermostat and overwork your system just to make up for the lost air. All of these things contribute to increased energy usage and less effective performance from your HVAC in Oklahoma City, OK—not to mention the fact that it can also make the climate in your home much less comfortable. For these reasons, it’s important that you leave your vents open, even in rooms that don’t necessarily need to be heated or cooled right now.

Need help with your HVAC in Oklahoma City, OK?

Since 1994, Dailey Heating & Air Conditioning has specialized in providing service for HVAC in Oklahoma City, OK in order to maximize efficiency and comfort for our customers. We understand the intricacies of heating and cooling systems in commercial and residential contexts, and we are able to address the service, repair and installation needs of our customers with a high level of experience and training. Call us today to find out more about all of the services that we provide.

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