In today’s modern homes, there are many smart devices. You can add a smart thermostat or intelligent door locks. There are even smart vents that you can install in your home. You might have thought about installing these vents. Smart vent manufacturers stress that adjusting vents will allow you to lower the energy consumption and keep your whole house comfortable throughout the year.
With a smart vent, the homeowner can close the room’s vents as you leave that part of the house. However, it is not practical to keep moving vents. In some homes, the vents are high on the ceiling, and it can be dangerous to get up on a ladder to close them. Smart vents have occupancy sensors, and they can detect when a room is empty. With those sensors, the vents will automatically close in unused rooms.
These smart vents also have thermometers that can help to regulate airflow when your home’s temperature is too cold or too hot. Those sensors will allow them to shut off the vents as the temperatures start to change in the room.
However, not everyone believes that smart vents are great for your home. Many HVAC professionals are concerned about restricting airflow and the potential damage to your system. Here are some things to consider when you install these smart devices in your home.
Why Choose a Smart Vent?
Smart vents are designed by the New York-based company called Keen Home. The company states that its products can solve common problems associated with air conditioning and heating. According to the company, most homes have two to four rooms that are too cold or too hot. Keen Home believes that their smart vents can create a more comfortable home environment, and it can help to reduce your system’s running time by up to 30 percent.
If your home never seems to feel comfortable, or you have cold or hot spots throughout your home, it might make sense to install a smart vent. However, these issues can be the cause of other problems, such as inefficient windows and doors, poor weather-stripping, or dirty registers. You can easily connect a smart vent to other devices, and they can be controlled with a tablet or smartphone. Many smart vents use a hub or intelligent home bridge that also allows for more effortless connectivity.
Smart Vents Can Be Difficult to Operate
Smart devices are not always that smart. These smart vents can suffer from problems like other devices, including compatibility. Some people even complain that the functions are overwhelming and clunky. Keen Home has corrected some issues with the release of newer models. However, the installation and management of these device-connected vents are more complicated than those non-smart alternatives.
When the smart vent becomes disconnected, you will get an alert. It is up to you to find the source of the issue and try to troubleshoot it. If you have experience with smart devices, then you know there is always a chance to have problems with communication. However, with a price tag of over $80 per vent, you should expect more from this product.
Can Smart Vents Cause HVAC Problems?
Since smart vents have not been on the market for long, there are no studies about the effects on your HVAC system. When they were released, there were many heating and air conditioning experts that expressed their concerns for these devices.
Many experts believe that there is no change to the behavior of the HVAC blower when you close the vents. In other words, you are not saving any money or increasing energy efficiency with this device. It doesn’t seem to affect the temperature of the air that comes out of your system either. However, these vents are effective at controlling temperatures in individual rooms. While many professionals are opposed to smart vents in your home, it does not mean they are not effective at managing the air temperature throughout your home.
Smart vents might have the potential to blow out your system’s components and reduce the life of your system. When you restrict airflow, that can damage your entire system. Blocked vents and closed registers could even disable your unit’s fan system. That can cause your compressor to fail, and it could create a domino effect throughout your system. Your evaporator coils could freeze up, and that will lead to costly repairs. If you have a standalone heater, there are more problems that you could face. Closed registers can crack the heat exchanger and lead to longer run times for your heat pumps.
In other words, your heating and cooling systems will have to work harder in your home. A continuously operating system is not good for your energy efficiency. Longer run times can overtax your components with increased usage of electricity or gas. If you are looking to save energy, these devices might not be the best choice for you.
Finally, when you close off vents and registers for a long time, it can increase your risk of mold growth in the ductwork. You need good airflow to remove that excess moisture and condensation. When you shut down vents in your home, you will not have that benefit with these smart devices.
Get It Professionally Installed
If you want to have a new smart device in your home, you will need the help of a professional company. These vents are complicated devices, and it is best to let the professionals handle the installation. A heating and cooling professional can perform a static pressure test to determine how your systems will perform with a blocked vent. With that test, you will know whether the system will experience problems in the future.
RGB Construction can help you find the right smart products for your home. We can determine whether these devices will work with your current configuration. Once you have chosen a product, we can even install it for you so that you can ensure it will work with your entire home.
If you are interested in more services from RGB Construction, please take a few minutes and fill out the contact form.
