Many people may advise to close the vents in your Berryville, Virginia, home to ensure you only heat the rooms that you’re using. However, the vent-closing theory is flawed and could end up driving up your Berryville, VA energy costs in the long run.
Where This Myth Comes From
The theory is that you can close the vents in unoccupied rooms to save energy in your home. The thought process goes like this: Your furnace has one less room to heat, so it’ll use less energy heating your house. You’ll realize that this theory is wrong once you learn a little about how HVAC systems and home insulation work.
The Reality of Closing Vents
When service technicians installed your furnace, they calculated the amount of space in your home. Your HVAC system is set to create that much-treated air, whether the vents are open or closed.
The fact of the matter is that closing the vents is terrible for your system, because it has to push the same volume of air through fewer vents and into fewer rooms. You can stress your blower motor this way. In the worst case scenario, you’ll cause the system to break down.
By the way, the heat in the rest of your house seeps into that colder room. Though your exterior walls are insulated to keep heat in, the walls within your home likely don’t have adequate insulation to keep one room a significantly different temperature from all the others.
Berryville, VA Energy Costs: Energy-Saving Alternatives
Now that you know closing the vents won’t save you energy, you need other solutions.
A zoned heating and cooling system, with separate thermostats for different zones, can create different temperatures in your home. Turning down the thermostat a few degrees for the whole house will also save energy. Supplementing cold rooms with a portable heater can take some stress off an older furnace.
When you make your fall furnace maintenance appointment with Griffith Energy Services, we’ll discuss energy-saving options for your home in more detail. Call us today at 888-474-3391.
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