Closing air vents in a room in your home that’s seldom used during the winter in most cases will not save energy. This is surprising news for many people who may close off the forced-air heating vents to an unused spare bedroom, bathroom or storage area during the winter months in Edwardsville, Glen Carbon, and other parts of Metro East Illinois.
A study by the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory found that closing air vents in unused rooms actually made the heating system work harder since it was still trying to push warm air through the closed vents.
Looking for ways to save energy in your home? Contact Ernst Heating & Cooling for more information on energy efficiency in Metro East.
Effects of Closing Air Vents
Because closed vents make your HVAC system work harder, it does not save energy to close air vents in your home.
When you close off the supply air vents in a room, the return vent or register is still sucking air into the return ductwork. This depressurizes the room, which causes outside air to rush inside through cracks and openings in windows or doors. The colder outside air will find its way into adjoining rooms as well, forcing your heating system to work harder.
Warm air that’s blown toward the closed-off room will force open weak connections in ductwork and back up into the basement or crawlspace, so it’s not going where it’s needed. This wasted heat increases the need for the heating system to work harder to compensate.
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Redirecting Airflow from Other Rooms
Instead of closing air vents completely to help heat or cool other rooms, try closing vents in upper rooms partially.
Since heat rises, air vents in upper-floor rooms can be partially closed to reroute more air to cooler downstairs rooms. However, some warm air must still be allowed through. Heating vents in the lower part of the home should always be completely open.
A ceiling fan, adjusted to the fan blades are rotating clockwise, can help distribute warm air throughout the house, keeping the air from collecting near the ceiling where it’s not doing anybody any good.
Improve Home Energy Efficiency with Ernst
If you want a room permanently sealed off, please contact us at Ernst Heating & Cooling, professional heating experts, to seal off ducts to that room while adjusting airflow. You do not want to compromise the heat distribution in the remaining rooms, so it is important to have this work done by a certified professional.
Need a Heating System Upgrade?
Consider upgrading your heating system with zoned heating that can control the level of heat in each section of your home. Contact us to learn more about heating system upgrades in Edwardsville, Bethalto, Highland, or surrounding Metro East communities. We’ve been providing HVAC service to the area since 1954!
Our goal is to help educate our customers in Hamel, Alton, Glen Carbon, Highland, Greenville, and Troy, Illinois and surrounding areas about energy and home HVAC comfort. Contact us today for heating and cooling service at your Metro East home.