Remote control vent louvers?

[Herb G]

I swear I saw some remote control vent louvers (registers) recently.
Does anyone have a link to them?

[daddo]

One of the worst ideas ever created, so I have no relation to it.  You'll be doing the same as air dampening and restricting proper airflow.

You start shutting down air to rooms, you're asking for big expensive problems. You may get by with controlling one or two rooms.

Some ducting is already too small and with the high dollar 1" pleated filters used now, there are enough problems caused.

But then again, the problems these inventions cause make me a lot more money.


 Let the system breathe.

[AlanBienlein]

It was on Ask this Old House. You can control the temp of each room independently as each room requires a sensor that plugs into an existing outlet. You can also control it with an app on your smartphone. Another nice feature is it won't let you shut the vents to the point that it does any damage to your hvac system because of reduced airflow.

[Robert Adams]

Lots of stustuff ask this old house as they are paid to advertise it. This is one of those things that just doesn't work in the end. The system is already optimized for airflow. Unless you add more ducts somewhere you can't shut others off.

[Herb G]

The problem is one vent. When it's open, it triggers the t-stat to shut off early.
When it's closed, it gets so hot upstairs, it's unbearable.
Also, when the vent in question is open, it runs you out of the room it's in.

My computer happens to be directly underneath this vent.


Yeah, I know to move the t-stat, but that's easier said than done.
I'd like to be able to shut & open the problem causing vent by remote is why I asked.

It's a major PITA, because it's in the ceiling and hard to reach.

[MikeBob]

A dowel with some time of hook on it maybe your answer to reach it.

[vapochilled]

One of the worst ideas ever created, so I have no relation to it.  You'll be doing the same as air dampening and restricting proper airflow.

You start shutting down air to rooms, you're asking for big expensive problems. You may get by with controlling one or two rooms.

Some ducting is already too small and with the high dollar 1" pleated filters used now, there are enough problems caused.

But then again, the problems these inventions cause make me a lot more money.


 Let the system breathe.

Can you expand on that daddo?
why are these filters bad for the system?

[Roly]

Not daddo but I tried the pleated filers on my old system and found the furnace would run a lot longer that it did with regular cheapo filters as it restricts the air flow.  This also led to uneven temps in the house.

 As far as the damper issue couldn't you just close the register part way instead of all or nothing ?   Sounds like a balance issue more than anything.   Roly

[JGrout]

maybe not pretty but a duct diffuser and a few minutes making adjustments to the flow should solve the issue

[blackhat]

Not daddo but we are in agreement on this topic.  In a system that is not capable of handling the restriction, airflow can cause system malfunctions, coil freezing and overheated heat exchangers.  I've had them raise discharge temps to the point that fire dampers will close.  Add the restriction when they are clean to the price and 3 month advertising causes people to not change them often enough.  Many system problems are traceable directly to these high density filters.