Does Closing Vents Reduce HVAC Energy Usage?

In the summer, a central HVAC system offers whole-house comfort. But if you’re like most people, you likely spend the majority of your time in the downstairs portion of your home. And that may lead you to wonder if you’re wasting money by cooling unused upstairs rooms throughout the day. Here at Xtreme Air, Inc., we get questions about that kind of thing all of the time. So, we’ve decided to provide the answer to the ultimate summertime cooling question of whether you can save money by closing the upstairs air vents. Continue reading for the answer.

SHOULD I CLOSE HVAC VENTS TO SAVE MONEY?

It’s natural to think that closing the vents in an unused room would save you money. After all, you’re preventing your HVAC system from cooling the air in the places you don’t need it. But in almost every situation, closing vents in your home won’t save you money. Instead, it could end up increasing your energy costs and lead to long-term damage to your HVAC system.

WHY CLOSING VENTS IS A BAD IDEA

Central HVAC systems aren’t a one-size-fits-all solution. They come in different sizes. The one in your home is just powerful enough to cool the total square footage of its interior rooms. When you close vents in your home, you’re upsetting that carefully calculated balance. And that can cause a few problems.

For one, it will cause the air pressure in your HVAC ducts to rise. That can lead to air leaks that waste cooled air inside the walls of your home. But that’s not all. It also makes your HVAC system work harder to overcome that extra air pressure. Over time, that will put added strain on the system and cause premature component failures.

THE MOST EFFICIENT APPROACH

Even if it seems counterintuitive, the most efficient way to use your HVAC system is to leave all of the vents open, as well as all of your interior doors. Doing so allows for proper airflow throughout your home. That way, your HVAC won’t have to fight to draw air into its returns or to return cooled air to your home.

KEEP YOUR HVAC IN TOP SHAPE

Needless to say, opening your vents isn’t the only thing you can do to ensure your HVAC system isn’t wasting money. It also needs ongoing maintenance to keep it in good working order. We’ve been taking care of residential HVAC systems since 2006, and we’ve got a reputation for customer service that’s second to none. We offer installation, repair and maintenance for your heating or air conditioning system. We also install evaporative coolers.

So contact us here at Xtreme Air, Inc. and let us handle all of your HVAC service and repair needs today!