True or False: Closing Air Vents Helps Save Money

When it comes to making your home more comfortable and energy-efficient, every little bit helps. From sealing air leaks to upgrading insulation, you’ll spend a little less energy heating and cooling your home, which means more money stays in your wallet.

However, there is one piece of outdated advice that we do not recommend, and that is closing your air vents.

Does Closing Air Vents Help You Save Money?

The short answer is no. Here’s why:

• Your HVAC system doesn’t “know” that you closed the vent. It will keep blowing air down that air duct anyway.
• When you close an air vent at the register on the wall, the air will not be redirected to another room that “needs it more.” Instead, the blocked air can lead to efficiency problems that we’ll describe in more detail below.

So why do air vent registers have a damper that allows you to open and close them? The damper allows you to control the airflow that comes out of the vent as well as its direction, to some extent. Even so, you should never close the vent completely.

Why You Shouldn’t Close Air Vents

Closing air vents has some unintended consequences that can both increase your energy bills and strain your HVAC equipment. Let’s take a closer look.

Your HVAC system has a part called a blower. The blower draws air into your indoor HVAC equipment through one or more return ducts and then blows out the air that’s been warmed or cooled back into your home. The blower has been engineered to push against pressure, and there is a maximum amount of pressure that it can push against.

When you close an air vent, you’re increasing the pressure the blower needs to fight against. The more pressure the blower has to fight against, the less efficiently the blower will perform.

Additionally, a buildup of pressure means that you’ll get bigger ductwork leaks as air tries to force its way out. Now, not only is your blower less efficient, but you’ll also lose more air through leaky ducts. Your HVAC system will need to work harder to heat and cool your home because of all the air that’s escaping into the walls before it reaches you.

Maximize Energy Savings With a Home Performance Evaluation

Saddled with high energy bills? Having trouble achieving even temperatures throughout your home? With a Tom's Mechanical, Inc. home performance evaluation, you’ll have the guidance of our experts so that you can know exactly where energy waste is happening in your home and how to fix it. Contact us today to schedule your appointment: (972) 388-3669.