Even though you may read online articles about controlling the indoor temperature in a room by adjusting the register, it’s not a good idea in most situations. Doing so can harm your HVAC system, which will eventually cause a problem requiring professional attention.
What It Does
When you close off the vent in a room, the amount of air pressure in the ductwork increases. Ductwork is designed to carry a certain amount of air pressure and closing even one register, especially if it’s not far from the air handler, raises it beyond its capacity. Over time, the extra pressure will weaken the seams and joints in the ductwork, creating leaks.Leaking ductwork drives up energy bills because conditioned air is lost before it reaches your rooms. The leaks pull in dust from the areas through which they run. In homes with vented gas appliances like water heaters and furnaces, the leaks create backdrafts that can pull carbon monoxide into your rooms.It may seem like a contradiction, but the higher airflow pressure inside the ductwork will reduce the amount of air going through air handler, which stresses the heating and cooling components inside the air handler. In the summer, lower airflow contributes to a frozen evaporator coil that may contribute to compressor failure, the system’s most expensive part. In the winter, reduced airflow causes the furnace to run hotter, which harms all its parts.
Better Options
The best way to control the indoor temperature in a room is by using a zoning system, which uses automatic dampers in the ducts to control the airflow. Each zone has its own thermostat and when it needs conditioned air, it sends a signal to a control panel. This part turns the HVAC system on, opens the damper and the air flows to that zone.In lieu of zoning your home to control the indoor temperature, it’s a good idea to leave the registers open. In the long run, the energy costs will be lower than the repairs. For more information, contact Air Assurance, providing HVAC services for Broken Arrow homeowners.
Our goal is to help educate our customers in the Tulsa and Broken Arrow, Oklahoma area about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). For more information about other HVAC topics, call us at 918-217-8273.