Turn Vents Away From Windows: A Free DIY Energy Saver

This isn’t the “Home Energy Efficiency Improvement Blog”, but maybe it should be. Still battling my new home’s unsightly energy guzzling, I am looking for any and all solutions to cut my utility bill. CNN Money.com just posted a series of improvements homeowners can make to “Cut your energy bills in half”. However, each of these fixes requires a trip to the hardware store at a minimum, and some require professional installation.

Here is a trick the amateur do-it-yourselfer can accomplish right now with a step-ladder and a screwdriver: turn your vents away from exterior windows.

Instead of blowing conditioned air right at the surfaces least insulated from the outside (the windows), vents should be turned facing into the room. This configuration enables heated or cooled air to have the greatest comfort impact while minimizing leakage and conduction to the outside.

Since I’m not CNN, I can’t estimate how much money and energy this simple fix will save, but its costs nothing and can be completed in about 10 minutes.

Give it a try.