It’s a common assumption that, in order to save money on heating and cooling your home, you should close the doors to any unused rooms.
But can you really save energy by closing doors?
Contrary to popular belief, closing your bedroom doors does not improve the efficiency of your HVAC system and may actually increase your utility bills. When you close a bedroom door, you effectively block the air’s pathway, and that blockage can lead to issues with airflow. Also, when a room is not properly vented, you could experience cold drafts in the winter, high humidity in the summer, and even mold!
Some homeowners even go as far as closing the vents to the HVAC system in those rooms. What they may not know is that their air conditioning system is designed to heat and cool a certain number of square feet. By closing registers and doors, your system will have to work harder to heat or cool less space, making it cycle more and which may result in a loss of efficiency.
For the best system performance, get in the habit of doing the following:
Keep Doors And Vents Open
To keep proper airflow in all rooms regularly, make sure that you keep all doors and HVAC registers open when able. Also be sure that furniture and any other household obstrcutions stay clear of your vents.
Change/Clean Your Furnace Filter
This is one of the most important monthly tasks a homeowner can do! Check that furnace filter every month and replace/clean as needed. Failure to do so could cause decreased airflow and even a furnace breakdown.
Get An HVAC Tune-Up
To maximize HVAC system performance (and to keep system warranties valid in some cases), schedule a system tune-up before the start of both the heating and cooling season.
