Queston about shutting off a room to conserve energy.

[looney2ns]

I now have a bedroom that is rarely used. If I shut off the air supply to that room and the air return in that room, how do I tell if I'm causing issue's with the HVAC system?
The return is a 6" x 14". Supply is 6" duct with a 4 x 10" register.

 

[UNCLE HARLEY]

Unless you've got insulated interior walls, I think you're not going to see much, if any, savings.

 

[AGarbers]

Unless you've got insulated interior walls, I think you're not going to see much, if any, savings.

This is correct. And you might affect return air flow negatively.

 

[churchmouse]

The room needs the air turn over. You are tripping over $5 bills to pick up quarters.

If you leave the door open the room will get warm and the warm air will migrate into the house.

Leave it closed and it will get musky smelling over time.

Let the air flow.

 

[BigBoxaJunk]

Out house doesn't have individual cold air returns in the bedrooms, just one big one in the hallway outside them.

We shut off the heat/cool register in the smallest bedroom when our kids moved out. I don't know about saving money, especially since we burn wood most of the time, but the big benefit is that the plants in that room love it with no heat in the room. There's a big south-facing window in that room and we have a wire-shelf plant rack where we put a lot of plants on in the fall when we bring them inside. The lower temp doesn't seem to bother them, and the increased humidity makes them look much happier than they used to look.

 

[Clay]

No one has that. Each system will have it's own individual air return. You need air flow through the room for multiple reasons as stated above.

 

[Bennettjh]

Let the air flow.

 

[possum_128]

Out house doesn't have individual cold air returns in the bedrooms, just one big one in the hallway outside them.

We shut off the heat/cool register in the smallest bedroom when our kids moved out. I don't know about saving money, especially since we burn wood most of the time, but the big benefit is that the plants in that room love it with no heat in the room. There's a big south-facing window in that room and we have a wire-shelf plant rack where we put a lot of plants on in the fall when we bring them inside. The lower temp doesn't seem to bother them, and the increased humidity makes them look much happier than they used to look.

That must be one big out house! The one's I've been in were not big enough for bedrooms, let alone a hallway!

 

[BigBoxaJunk]

That must be one big out house! The one's I've been in were not big enough for bedrooms, let alone a hallway!

We have Kiosks with maps in each room so that we don't get lost.

 

[rw02kr43]

Our house was built in 1926. We don't have a return air vent at all upstairs. We leave the vent running in the bathroom. In the winter the upstairs doesn't get warm. In the summer it doesn't get cool. We use infrared space heaters and AC window units. It sucks.

Jason

 

[jkaetz]

No one has that. Each system will have it's own individual air return. You need air flow through the room for multiple reasons as stated above.

You've never looked at a modern home's HVAC system. Every subdivision I've seen built since 2000 cheaps out on return air ducts. They expect the doors to stay open and the central return to pull air from the rooms. It works but certainly isn't ideal. Given the option I'd opt for individual feed and return but I'm guessing builders have found it cheaper to do a central return.

 

[Clay]

You've never looked at a modern home's HVAC system. Every subdivision I've seen built since 2000 cheaps out on return air ducts. They expect the doors to stay open and the central return to pull air from the rooms. It works but certainly isn't ideal. Given the option I'd opt for individual feed and return but I'm guessing builders have found it cheaper to do a central return.

No, that's pretty much exactly what I'm talking about. A system = 1 condensor & 1 evaporator, and will typically have 1 return with multiple supplies. If you have a house with multiple systems, ie one system up stairs, and one downstairs, then you will have a return upstairs for that system with multiple points of supply, and a return downstairs for that system w/ multiple points of supply.

 

[BigBoxaJunk]

You've never looked at a modern home's HVAC system. Every subdivision I've seen built since 2000 cheaps out on return air ducts. They expect the doors to stay open and the central return to pull air from the rooms. It works but certainly isn't ideal. Given the option I'd opt for individual feed and return but I'm guessing builders have found it cheaper to do a central return.

My mom's house is an L-shaped ranch and hers has multiple cold air returns, with one in the ceiling of the master bedroom which is farthest from the furnace. That house was built in the late 1960's, and in general the air duct system is much better than the one on my own house, built in 1998.

 

[calcot7]

That must be one big out house! The one's I've been in were not big enough for bedrooms, let alone a hallway!

Prolly one a dem three holers!

 

[BigBoxaJunk]

Prolly one a dem three holers!

I respect a boy who can make his own fun.

 

[churchmouse]

No, that's pretty much exactly what I'm talking about. A system = 1 condensor & 1 evaporator, and will typically have 1 return with multiple supplies. If you have a house with multiple systems, ie one system up stairs, and one downstairs, then you will have a return upstairs for that system with multiple points of supply, and a return downstairs for that system w/ multiple points of supply.

I have returns in every room.

 

[cobber]

How about shutting off the West Wing of the WH? I bet that would save energy, and no return, thanks.

 

[looney2ns]

Thanks everyone.

I have returns in each room as it should be.