Does Closing Vents Save Energy?

Does closing vents save energy? Whether you heard it from your neighbor, your dad or a stranger off the street, you've likely been told to close the vents in rooms you don't use.

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However, this well-intentioned piece of energy-saving advice might not work as well as you expect. In fact, it could cost you more money and increase the wear on your equipment.

Does Closing Vents Redirect Air?

Yes, the air that would go into a room with a closed vent technically gets redirected. However, it's not as simple as the air going to another room that needs it more. When the air hits a dead end in the form of a closed vent, it moves back into your ductwork, where it competes for space with more air coming through the system. Closing room vents increases the pressure within the ductwork, which can be hard on your system in many ways.

Is It Good or Bad to Close Vents in Unused Rooms?

It's generally not a good idea to close the vents in rooms because of the effects on the system's pressure. It can increase leaks in your ductwork, which causes more wasted air. Closing vents also changes the airflow in the system, which can cause damage. For example, in the summer, your AC coils may freeze due to airflow issues. In the winter, airflow issues could overheat your heat exchanger, causing damage that could increase the risk of carbon monoxide leaks.

Does Closing Off Rooms Save Heat (and Energy and Money) in Winter?

Does closing vents save energy, thereby saving you money in the winter? It probably won't save you as much money as you think, and it could increase your bills. Sure, you're not heating the rooms you don't use, but the cooler temperatures in those rooms could affect other areas. Even if you close the door, the cooler air could seep out and make nearby rooms feel cooler. That's especially true if your interior walls aren't well-insulated.

Your heating system may have to work harder due to the buildup of pressure and heated air that gets lost through ductwork leaks. The equipment relies on a specific amount of pressure to heat your room efficiently. When you throw off the pressure balance by closing vents, the equipment may work harder to keep the rest of the room at the correct temperature. That can increase your utility bills and cause your furnace to wear out sooner than it should, resulting in expensive repairs.

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How Much Can I Save by Sealing My HVAC Vents?

Sealing the ductwork that leads to your vents could save you money on your utility bills. Leaks in your ductwork could lower the efficiency of your HVAC system by up to 20%, according to Energy Star. Sealing the ductwork might not lower your utility bills by 20%, but it could help improve the efficiency of your system and lower your bills somewhat.

You can seal exposed ductwork yourself with mastic sealant or duct sealing tape. HVAC pros can also do the work for you and look for other issues that could decrease the efficiency of your HVAC system.

Are There Other Options?

You can set up a zoned HVAC system to give you more control over heating and cooling in different areas. This type of system uses dampers within the ductwork, which you can close to keep airflow from going to certain parts of the home. Using the dampers allows the system to maintain the right pressure levels so it won't add excess wear to your equipment.

Zoned systems typically use different thermostats for each zone, with automatic dampers that open and close based on your heating and cooling preferences in those zones. You can retrofit most existing HVAC systems with a zoned design, so you don't have to replace your entire system to take advantage of it.