Thomas Rogers
Well-Known Member
A pretty good article on conserving energy in order to save money:
OT: 101 Easy Ways to Save Money
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Bill V
Well-Known Member
I didn't get very far into that when I found one with several untruths in it...
It's true that your furnace can't sense that a register is closed, and will continue working at the same pace. But it will work at that pace less often. Let's say you have a 2500sf house, and you close off the registers in 500sf of space that is closed off (bedrooms, etc.). Your furnace will still kick out enough BTUs to heat a 2500sf house, but those BTUs will be distributed over only 2000sf, meaning a higher heat concentration. This will cause the temperature to reach the desired level quicker, and the thermostat will shut down the furnace sooner. Further, if the cold air from those rooms "escapes" into the rest of the house, it will only cause the furnace to have to heat part of that 500sf of heat you had saved--i.e. the furnace will have to work as if it's heating 2100 or 2200sf. Which is more than the 2000sf if the room was closed and perfectly sealed, but still significantly less than 2500sf.
The only reason not to shut the registers in an unused room is if closing it gets the room so cold, or the air circulation so poor, that it has negative effects on systems in that room or the surrounding walls/floor/ceiling--for example, freezing pipes, or mold from lack of air circulation. But from a pure energy efficiency perspective, keep 'em closed.
It's true that your furnace can't sense that a register is closed, and will continue working at the same pace. But it will work at that pace less often. Let's say you have a 2500sf house, and you close off the registers in 500sf of space that is closed off (bedrooms, etc.). Your furnace will still kick out enough BTUs to heat a 2500sf house, but those BTUs will be distributed over only 2000sf, meaning a higher heat concentration. This will cause the temperature to reach the desired level quicker, and the thermostat will shut down the furnace sooner. Further, if the cold air from those rooms "escapes" into the rest of the house, it will only cause the furnace to have to heat part of that 500sf of heat you had saved--i.e. the furnace will have to work as if it's heating 2100 or 2200sf. Which is more than the 2000sf if the room was closed and perfectly sealed, but still significantly less than 2500sf.
The only reason not to shut the registers in an unused room is if closing it gets the room so cold, or the air circulation so poor, that it has negative effects on systems in that room or the surrounding walls/floor/ceiling--for example, freezing pipes, or mold from lack of air circulation. But from a pure energy efficiency perspective, keep 'em closed.
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Johnny O
Well-Known Member
I'd say also to not shut off registers in downstairs rooms. Heat rises, so the rooms above it will be colder. Upstairs rooms, if unused, are okay to shut off. My cousin, although he is a car nut, claims that it costs less to heat his house if he heats the garage too because the bedrooms are above it.
