You rely on your AC/Heat system to heat and cool your home throughout the year. However, the comfort your air conditioner and heating system provide can sometimes come at a cost. If your energy bills are currently higher than you’d like them to be, you might be tempted to close the vents throughout your home.
You may have heard that closing the vents in unused rooms will reduce your energy consumption while redirecting the air to other parts of your home. Unfortunately, this myth is nowhere close to the truth. In fact, there’s a lot of proof showing it is bad to close air conditioning vents in rooms you don’t use.
Let’s discuss all the reasons why you should stop closing vents for temperature control.
What Is the Purpose of Your Air Vents?
Before we can go over why it is bad to close air conditioning vents throughout your home, it’s crucial to know how your vents work and how they contribute to your comfort. Your AC/Heat system, air ducts, and vents work in tandem to deliver the chilled and heated air you’ve come to expect during certain parts of the year.
Take a look at this guide to learn more about air vents:
Why Shouldn’t You Close Your Vents?
As a homeowner, it can be easy for bills to pile up without you realizing it. So if you’re looking for ways to reduce costs, you might want to start by looking at your energy consumption. The good news is that there are many tips you can use to save energy. Among these tips, you may have heard the rumor that closing your vents can improve your comfort while also helping you save energy.
However, this is certainly not the reality of the situation. You should stop closing vents for temperature control, as continuing to do so can negatively affect your AC/Heat system, comfort, and energy bills.
Insufficient Airflow
There are many reasons why it is bad to close air conditioning vents. For starters, it can restrict the amount of air coming and going from the AC/Heat system.
Unrestricted airflow is critical for the proper functioning of your heating and cooling systems. If the airflow becomes restricted from closing air vents, this can result in excess wear and tear for your AC/Heat equipment as well as costly repairs. Instead of saving money, you can potentially cause the reverse effect and raise your utility bill, all while lowering your comfort inside your home. Especially during the rainy season, this can potentially make your home feel muggier due to the system not being able to perform the way it was designed.
Poor Efficiency
If you’re trying to lower your energy bills, you’ll undoubtedly want to stop closing vents for temperature control. That’s because doing so can have a negative impact on your AC/Heat system’s energy efficiency.
When you shut the vents in unused rooms, you might think that you’re redirecting the air to other parts of your home. Unfortunately, your AC/Heat system doesn’t have sensors telling it where to direct this air. So if your AC/Heat system notices that certain rooms are hotter or colder than other parts of your home, it will work extra hard to try and meet your desired temperature. Consequently, your AC/Heat unit will use more energy — which can result in higher utility bills.
Closing your vents can also increase the air pressure inside your ducts. This can cause the heated or cooled air to get pushed out through duct leaks, which usually come in the form of cracks and holes. Your AC/Heat system will try to compensate for this heat loss and lack of cold air by working overtime — which, again, can raise your energy bills.
Forcing your heating and cooling systems to work twice as hard can have serious consequences. For example, your air conditioner may require frequent repairs or a premature replacement. As a result, you may find yourself needing to call an air conditioning installation company.
Disrupted Comfort
As you can see, it is bad to close air conditioning vents because of the toll it can take on your AC/Heat system’s performance and energy efficiency. However, you shouldn’t overlook how shutting these vents can also take a toll on your family’s comfort.
Something we touched on briefly was that closing your vents can cause hot and cold spots to appear throughout your home. These uncomfortable temperatures can be frustrating to deal with, especially on days that are extremely hot or exceptionally cold.
Need AC/Heat Services? Call Rite Way!
There are many reasons why you should stop closing vents for temperature control. Fortunately, there are many other ways to achieve your goals. If you want to enhance your comfort while saving energy, call Rite Way for help. We can provide you with a heating system replacement or air conditioning repair service to meet your needs.
Contact us today to schedule an appointment with our experts in Tucson, AZ, or the surrounding area. You can count on us to get the job done the right way!
