Serving 
Can I Reduce My AC Bill by Closing Upstairs Air Vents?
Closing the air vents to unoccupied rooms sounds like a good idea; after all, you don’t want your AC to run unnecessarily. However, what sounds good in theory hurts your AC and your energy bill in practice. Consider the following points.
Closing the Vents Contributes to Energy Loss
Your air conditioner runs at a single speed to cool all rooms simultaneously. When it’s hindered from doing this, the air it sends out will turn back and most likely seep out through leaks in the ductwork. That does no one any good, and your AC will have to run longer to reach the set point. Besides that, closing the vents increases air pressure, which can put wear on the AC motor.
Wearing Down the Air Conditioner
Remember that though you close the supply vents to your upstairs rooms, the return vents stay open, and these still send air into the AC. It could be the warm air, in which case the AC will keep running until there’s no more of that warm air, but since you’re not cooling those rooms, the warm air will linger. On the other hand, the return vents could send in cool air from surrounding rooms, in which case those rooms will need extra cooling. In both cases, you’re wearing out the system through overuse.
Let Us Repair or Replace Your AC
Residents of Fort Payne, AL, should know that their AC has a specific cooling capacity and that the installers chose it for them based on detailed criteria like the home’s square footage and its rate of heat loss. At Bryant's Heating & Cooling, we take the same careful approach to installing ACS. Our company has been around since 1981, and we’re familiar with all makes and models. Rely on us for repairs and tune-ups. We also clean ducts, sell indoor air quality products, and provide light commercial services. If you’d like to set up an appointment, call us today. Our schedule is flexible.
