“Closing vents in rooms we don’t use will save me money.” Many Arizona homeowners think this, but it’s 100% wrong. It’s even worse than wrong; closing vents can actually cause your A/C or heat pump to run inefficiently and eventually break. Closing vents does not save you money Closing vents can actually damage your heating and A/C system Why closing air vents does not save you money If you close air vents, your air conditioning and heating system will not run less and therefore you won’t save money as hoped. Imagine that you’re walking at a brisk pace, and you’re breathing by inhaling through your mouth and exhaling through your nose.  Moving air like this is how your HVAC (heating, ventilation and air conditioning) system works; the blower pulls air from the house through the return ducts and then pushes it back into the house through the supply ducts. Now, imagine you decided to close one of your nostrils, but you continue to walk at the same pace.

By doing this, you’re trying to move the same amount of air but have less pathways to do so. So, you either move less air (making you oxygen deprived), or you put in more effort to breathe comfortably. Similarly, when you close a supply vent, you’re not causing your air conditioner to work less. All you do is increase pressure in your air ducts. Which is bad news for the blower because it’s designed to deliver a certain amount of air against a certain amount of pressure. Closing vents will cause different problems depending on the type of blower: Permanent split capacitor (PSC) blower— Closing vents causes this blower to slow down because it can’t overcome the extra pressure. Thus your system becomes “oxygen deprived.” Electronically commutated motor (ECM) blower— This blower can adjust its speed to varying conditions. When you close air vents it will ramp up to overcome the extra pressure. Meaning bigger energy bills for you. How closing air vents can hurt your HVAC system

OK, so now you know what happens when you close air vents. But how does that actually hurt the system? Well, since a PSC blower (the most common type) slows down when you close vents, less air is delivered over your: Air conditioner’s evaporator coil (the part that cools the air). Low airflow causes the coil to get too cold, and sometimes turn into a block of ice. Eventually liquid refrigerant flows back to the outdoor unit’s compressor, destroying it. Furnace’s heat exchanger (the part that heats the air). Low airflow will cause heat exchanger to overheat, possibly crack. And if you don’t have a warranty that covers these parts? You might as well replace the entire outside unit or furnace respectively because it would be more cost efficient than replacing those pricy parts. Other issues with closing vents So, we’ve covered the most important problem with closing vents: a damaged system. But there are a few other important problems closing vents can cause, including:

Remember, a PSC blower delivers less air, the more vents you close. That means your home will take longer to cool down or heat up. The average home loses 20-30% of the air blowing through it thanks to air duct leaks, according to ENERGY STAR. ac dc cdi boxThat means you’re paying 20% to 30% more than you should on your utility bills.lennox ac parts miami Closing vents worsens that leakage problem because the extra pressure forces MORE air out of those leaks. top 10 hvac companies in chennaiThink of it like jumping on top of a leaky air mattress. The mattress was already losing air, jumping on it just forces more air out of the leaks—and possibly making the leaks open even more. Of course keeping vents open does not make the duct leakage problem go away.

You would need a professional to seal the ductwork. Learn more: How Can I Tell If My Air Ducts Are Leaking? For the love of your budget, don’t close air vents! Now, we don’t mean to be fear mongers here. Closing one vent isn’t going to instantly just ruin your system. But, we are saying that with every air vent you close, the above problems are more likely to happen. Have any other questions about the do’s and don’ts of cooling and heating your home? If you live in the Phoenix metro area, contact us with your questions. We would love to help!Serving Your Air Conditioning and Heating Needs Since 1976! New HVAC installation / Changeout What happens if you do not pull permits? Willful or deliberate disregard and violation of the building laws, including the California Building Code, and local permit requirements constitutes a cause for disciplinary action from the Contractors State License Board working in conjunction with the local building department.

This action may consist of fines up to $5,000 per violation or suspension/revocation of a contractor's license. When must you pull permits? A written construction permit shall be obtained from the enforcement agency prior to the erection, construction, reconstruction, installation, relocation, or alteration of any mechanical system, except as permitted in Appendix Chapter 1, Section 112.2 of the 2007 California Mechanical Code. Projects requiring permits include, but are not limited to: Replacement of furnace, coil, FAU, or condenser Relocation of an existing HVAC unit Adding or replacing more than 40ft ducting What are energy efficiency standards related to title 24? Heating equipment must have a minimum 78% AFUE (Exception: Wall & floor furnaces; room heaters). Central air conditioners & heat pumps less than 65,000 Btu/hr must have a minimum 13 SEER. Newly installed or replaced ducts must have a minimum insulation value of R-4.2. A setback type thermostat (24 hr clock with four set points) is required for all alterations and newly installed

New or replacement ducts must meet the mandatory requirements of Section 150(m): All joints and openings in the in the HVAC system must be sealed. Only UL 181, UL 181A, or UL 181B approved tapes or mastic shall be used to seal duct openings. Connections of metals ducts and the inner core of flex ducts shall be mechanically fastened. Flex ducts must be connected using a metal sleeve/coupling. Flex ducts that are suspended must be supported every 4ft. max for horizontal runs with no more than 2" of sag between supports and 6 ft. max for vertical runs When is HERS verification required? A HERS rater is a special inspector for the building department. The building inspector may also request to be on site to witness testing by the contractor and/or HERS rater. The installer picks one of the three options on the CF-1R-ALT-HVAC Form that describe the work being conducted. Each option lists the forms required to be at the job site for final. CF-6R Forms shall be completed and submitted by the installing contractor for final inspection.*

CF-4R Forms shall be completed, registered with an approved HERS Provider (cannot be completed by hand), and submitted by the HERS Rater for final inspection effective January 1, 2010. Description of the HERS test Cooling Coil Airflow (CCA) - When a refrigerant charge test is required the system must first be tested to move a minimum 300 CFM per ton of cooling. An accrete charge cannot be conducted with air flows lower than 300 CFM per ton of cooling. Air flows can usually be increased by adding a larger return duct and grill or a second return duct and grill. Duct Test - The new or current duct work must pass the minimum required leakage rate. All duct work must be sealed and air tight. Refrigerant Charge (RC) - The installer is required to verify the charge is correct. If the outside temperature is below 55 degrees then the weigh in method must be used by the installer. When the weigh in method is used the HERS rater must retest when the temperature is 55 and above using the standard testing protocol in RA3.