Unused rooms leave doors open or closed for winter? (furnace, windows, heating)

[SunnyKayak]

I live in a story home 2 of the bedrooms are not being used. I have 2 furnance air intakes one downstairs and one uptairs both are in the hallway.

Would it save me more energy to close the doors in the unused rooms or would it hamper the air flow? Each of the rooms have large windows.

Would the furnace push the air in other rooms if I close the unused rooms vents?

Thanks

[Tesaje]

Yes, it will save energy. I do this all the time. Close the vents and more air will go the open vents.

[Arcticthaw]

Closeing the doors should be fine, there should be a gap under the door to let air move. I would not completely close the registers in both rooms, let a small amount of heat into the room, this will help protect the wall coverings from condensation if your in a colder climate. This will save energy just not quite as much, but may save repairs later.

If by chance you have a zoned heating system, turn down the thermostat to the rooms your not using.

[nitram]

If you want to prevent a moldy musty smell you'll need to arrange for some minimum air flow in the rooms.

[RoaminRed]

I do this. I close the registers in the unused rooms (not quite completely, I leave just a crack of space). Then I just close the doors and it works fine. I use less energy and it doesn't hurt the unused spaces to be cold. (Note that I probably wouldn't do this in a room that had water pipes in it though -- that's asking for trouble!)

[ESFP]

We do this too. I consider I'm heating cubic feet of air, and by closing a room the math seems to work. Historically, people have always done this. Also, windows are a great heat release. I close off the rooms with the most windows where possible. When we go into the rooms occasionally, it's chilly but certainly not freezing. With heating costs what they are, everybody is doing whatever they can.

[litlux]

It is during a cold winter that I am glad i have an old house with doors on each room rather than one big open space. I can close off the little used rooms and ratchet down the heat in them so that they remain 10-15 degrees cooler than the lived in spaces.

When I have to get something from one of them the cooler air hits me and reminds me why my heating bill is not as big as it might be.

[tulegirl]

Wish I could close off more...

[elaine150]

Do you think it will be fine with rooms being heated by electricity? I have two unused rooms and also close the doors. When I open the doors, the rooms are really cold, but I then turn up the heat and withing 10 minutes the rooms is fine. Is it more economical to turn the heat off and close the doors and only open up the heat now and then.... or keep the doors open? I am confused.

[Tesaje]

Electric baseboard heat is one of the best for localized heating. You don't have an air return system that might get upset with them. Just turn them off in rooms you don't use or when you aren't in them.