The Denver area truly experiences the full range of weather conditions with winter temperatures regularly below freezing and summer days that can easily reach triple-digit temperatures. This can make keeping your home cooled and heated throughout the year expensive. As a result, you might be wondering whether you can reduce these costs by closing the vents on the upper levels of your homes or in any rooms you don’t frequently use. Unfortunately, the answer to this question is a resounding no. Not only will closing your vents not reduce the amount of energy your HVAC system uses but doing so will almost always end up costing you more in the long run for the following reasons.
Prevents Proper Air Circulation
Your HVAC system was designed to ensure proper airflow to each room and throughout the entire system. Specifically, everything is calibrated to work based on a certain level of air pressure, and it really only works as it should if all supply and return air vents are open and unobstructed. Closing the vents to certain rooms, or worse, the entire upper level of the home, disrupts the normal airflow and changes the pressure inside the ducts. The more vents you close, the greater the pressure inside the system increases.
Increased Repairs and Higher Energy Bills
The pressure imbalance caused by closing your vents means that your HVAC system has to work much harder to circulate the air throughout the house. It can also potentially cause your ductwork to start leaking, which will only worsen the problem further. All of this results in it being much more difficult for the system to properly keep your home heated and cooled. This means your furnace or AC will need to run more often and for longer periods, which equals higher energy bills and increased wear and tear on your equipment.
If you regularly keep some of your vents closed, it is highly likely that your HVAC equipment will start needing more frequent, and potentially more costly, repairs. It will also most likely shorten the lifespan of your furnace or AC and possibly see you needing to replace the unit long before you’d planned.
Not a Long-Term Fix for Heating or Cooling Issues
Another reason why some people close their vents is to better heat or cool other areas of the home. While this can help, it really isn’t a viable solution in the long term due to the added stress it puts on your system. Moreover, if you find yourself needing to do this, it is an obvious sign that your HVAC system isn’t working properly since it should have been designed to properly heat or cool the entire building.
In this situation, you should contact a professional contractor to inspect your system and see what is causing the issue. It could be a sign that your furnace, AC, or ductwork needs repaired or replaced. It could also indicate that your furnace or AC isn’t large enough to properly heat or cool the entire home. Either way, it’s something you should definitely have checked out.
Why HVAC Zoning Is the Best Alternative
Just because you shouldn’t close your upstairs vents doesn’t mean that you always have to heat or cool the entire house. Installing a zoned HVAC system can allow you to only heat the upstairs or downstairs without causing any of the same issues as closing your vents. This type of system separates the home into two or more zones, each with its own thermostat. This allows you to independently control the temperature in one zone without affecting the temperature in the others.
While this type of system will require an upfront investment, it is well worth it. For starters, a zoned heating and cooling system will provide better control and improved indoor comfort. It can also lessen the workload on your HVAC system, which means reduced need for repairs and lower energy costs.
Expert HVAC Services in Northglenn
If you’re interested in a zoned HVAC system or need any other heating or cooling service, the team Unique Heating & Air Conditioning Inc. is ready to help. We have been providing residents of Northglenn and the Denver Metro Area with outstanding HVAC services and support since 2007. All of our technicians are NATE-certified and can handle any of your cooling or heating repair, maintenance, or installation requirements. We work with both residential and commercial customers and can also offer you solutions to improve the indoor air quality in your home or business. For more information or to schedule an appointment, give Unique Heating & Air Conditioning Inc. a call.
