Windham, NH Homeowner Looks For Advice
It can be tempting to close vents in unused rooms, shutting the door, to keep the warm air in the rest of the house but this can actually wind up increasing your energy bill. Air pressure builds up when vents are closed which increases the risk of duct leaks. This loss of heated, or cooled, air into the walls of the home can end up making your energy costs higher. This added pressure can also put an additional strain on the entire HVAC system.
A homeowner in Windham was looking for a way to reduce her heating bill. She was contemplating closing the vents in the areas of the home that her family did not regularly use.
Regardless of Open or Closed Vents, the HVAC System Will Run at the Same Power Level
HVAC units are sized to fit the cubic feet of the area where they are installed. The unit will continue to run at the same power level despite whether all or some of the vents are open. In fact, closing vents can actually cause a loss of energy as the HVAC system has to work harder to make up for duct leaks caused by increased pressure from the closed vents.
Closed Vents Can Lead to Balanced Heat Throughout the Home
A room in the house that is colder than others as the result of closed vents can draw heat through the walls, floor or ceiling of adjacent warmer rooms. This then causes the nearby rooms to have a cooler temperature than the rest of the house, with a home filled with warm and cold pockets. Leaving all of the vents open will enable for better heat distribution throughout the home.
The homeowner in Windham was surprised to hear that closing the vents was actually counter-productive for reducing her heating bill. A better way to lower these costs is to ensure that the system is working efficiently.
A Joyce Cooling & Heating Inc. technician performed a regular maintenance check on her heating system and she can be sure that her unit is now working efficiently.
