Why Closing HVAC Vents is Like Plugging Your Nose to Stop Breathing

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Published Date 12/11/2024

If a tree falls in the woods and no one is there to hear it, did it make noise? Yup. So, does shuttering heating and cooling vents in rooms you don’t use save you energy? Nope.

According to SaveOnEnergy’s Dominique Sabins, this is a common myth. “Closing HVAC circulation to certain rooms may result in issues with your ducts. It creates a less efficient heating and cooling system and can be dangerous,” she says. “Ultimately, closing vents in your home isn’t a good strategy for saving on energy costs.”

So the short answer is no; closing your vents does not save energy. “When you close vents in unused rooms, your central air conditioning and heating system will push the excess air to other places in your home and build pressure within your ducts,” says Sabins. “In fact, closing vents may even waste more energy than operating your system as usual.”

But what happens when you close those vents? When your home was built, the builder was required to install an HVAC system compatible with your home’s size and layout. If you close any vents, therefore, you are throwing off this delicate balance, which makes the system work overtime to heat or cool the rest of your home. And over time, increased air pressure can cause problems in your home.

It’s called static pressure, and it is defined as the resistance to airflow in your HVAC system. “These systems are designed to have the right balance of static pressure,” says Sabins. “Closing vents will increase the pressure, which can restrict or stop efficient airflow in your home.”

What can happen? Read on:

• It can cause leaks in the HVAC system or make existing leaks worse.

• It can make your HVAC system less efficient rather than result in saving energy.

• Pressure can damage your heat exchanger, resulting in dangerous carbon monoxide leaks.

• Inefficient or misdirected heating and cooling may result in mold growth.

• Leaky ducts can lead to elevated radon levels, a leading cause of lung cancer.

Energy experts recommend keeping vents and interior doors open as much as possible for the best airflow. “If comfort is an issue, try closing certain vents partially,” says Sabins. “Closing vents no more than 75% of the way can ensure that air keeps circulating throughout your home so the pressure is even and your energy bills stay as low as possible.”

She sums up saying that regardless of how many vents you have open, the heater or air conditioner produces the same amount of air, so closing a vent wastes energy. So breathe deeply.

SaveOnEnergy, TBWS

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Darren Orshoff is a Marketing and Real Estate professional, licensed Realtor with the California Department of Real Estate DRE#01803671 with WSR Real Estate DRE#01977642.  Darren is also a Certified Mortgage Planner, A Certified Financial Literacy Coach, A Dave Ramsey Trained Financial Coach, A Certified Mortgage Advisor, and while Darren is licensed by the NMLS, he is not originating loans but refers lending transactions to Golden Empire Mortgage, Inc. ("GEM") [NMLS ID No. 2427] licensed by the Department of Financial Protection and Innovation pursuant to the California Residential Mortgage Lending Act, for which he represents as the Corporate Marketing Coordinator.

Darren Orshoff

Realtor, Marketing Guru, Sushi Lover, Dad, Ham

License: CalDRE#01803671

The Key To Your Home!™ at WSR

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