Does It Really Help to Close My Vents in the Basement to Force Warm Air to the Main Level?

Inefficiency

• Never close more than one-third of the vents in your home, especially if you have a central forced-air furnace. These furnaces are designed to operate efficiently. Closing vents can place extra strain on the blower fan, causing the furnace to work harder and potentially reducing efficiency.

Energy Zap

• Closing the vents causes the return air ducts to pull in cold air from windows and walls, instead of warm air from the house, potentially increasing your heating bill. The increased pressure that occurs in the heat ducts after closing vents may force warm air to leak through seams in the heat ducts and escape into crawlspaces and basements.

Considerations

• Hire an HVAC specialist to clean and maintain the furnace annually and consult the specialist before closing vents. Occasionally, a basement room may get very warm because the furnace lies closely to it and the basement walls insulate it very effectively. Close a vent if the room is too warm, but avoid closing more than one-third of the vents.

Recommendations

• To reduce heating costs during the winter, use a programmable thermostat and keep it set as low as is comfortable. Set it to go down during the day if you are not home and at night while you are sleeping. Open curtains along south- or west-facing windows during the day to draw in heat from the sun. Close these curtains at night. Contact your local utility company to perform an energy audit, which can identify problem areas, such as inadequate insulation or drafty windows.