Central Heating Issues? Try Keen Smart Vents

Have you noticed that there is always that one room in the house that just doesn’t get warm by your central heating?  You know the room, the one you always need extra blankets to use when you are in there.  It’s the same room that never gets cool enough from your central air in the summer too.

Keen Smart Vents are a smart way to section off your AC and heater vents room by room.  I live in the desert region of Southern California, where temperatures frequently reach 105+ during the peak summer months.  It gets very expensive trying to keep our home comfortable during this time. 

During the winter, it gets cold here for us thin-skinned Southern Californians.  We only use central heating very occasionally, but when we need it, we need it!  It is so frustrating this time of year when your child’s bedroom never warms up from the constant central heating blast in her room…because her room is too far away from the central heating furnace.  The same is true in the heat of summer when she’s sweating in her room.

We are fortunate enough to have an upstairs AC unit and a downstairs unit.  This allows for some cost savings, however, it is still expensive. 

With Keen Smart Vents, I can now individually control the temperature in each room!  Not only that, but Keen Smart Vents integrate with your Nest Thermostat to give you even more savings and temperature control.

Central Heating & Air Smart Vent Set- Up

The Keen Smart Vents allow you to choose how many vents you want to set up.  If you are not planning on configuring your whole house, it is wise to choose rooms that have poor air flow (either too much or too little) or that are not used on a regular basis.   You know the rooms, the ones that are always cold when the central heating is on.

The Smart Vents connect to a hub, which is connected directly to your WIFI router.  Using the Keen app on your smartphone, you are able to open and shut the vents, as well as create a schedule for when the vents are open. 

When you measure your vents, it is important to take your current cover off and measure the inside of the vent in order to purchase the correct size.  When the vents arrive, the installation is fairly simple – as long as you don’t fall off your ladder!  The Keen Smart Vent screws into your existing duct work.  It couldn’t be any easier.

There is a removable battery pack as well as a manual switch.  A magnetic cover allows easy access to these features, no need to unscrew everything when it is time to replace the batteries!

Smart Vent Modes

There are 3 modes to the Keen Smart Vents; Manual, Balance, and Integrated:

• Manual Mode:  You simply decide for each individual unit, the percentage you want the vent open.  Additionally, you can set the vents on a schedule, even in manual mode. 

•   Balance Mode:  You set each room to a desired temperature (requires more than one vent) and the vents will automatically adjust to each chosen temperature/ and air flow.

•  Integrated Mode:  Allows for integration with Nest Thermostat, to give you better control and insights to your home efficiency. 

Pros

• Allows equal air flow of central heating or air throughout your home
• Gives you the ability to shut air flow off to rooms that are not used
• Create a schedule based on when your family is home
• Save Energy and Money!
• Accessories available (filters, stylish covers)
• No need to climb up ladders to open and shut vents

Cons

• Expensive to configure your whole house
• Does not connect through Bluetooth- only through WIFI
• Limited scheduling capabilities

The Keen Smart Vents are available on Amazon for $139.

A Mom’s Perspective

My husband and I have a blended family.  Two of our children are with us half-time.  That means that half of the time, their rooms are empty.  I installed the Keen Smart Vents and have put their rooms on a schedule. 

Unfortunately, the scheduling abilities don’t allow a day-by-day choice.  You can choose your schedule based on weekdays or weekends.  For now, I can manually adjust their vents to close when they are not here.  Since it is the middle of winter in California, we do not use our heater much. 

However, I am excited to see how this impacts our energy costs when the heat waves roll in this summer.  From this mom’s perspective, although the start-up cost is a little pricey to start with, Keen reports that you can cut back your energy costs by up to 30%.  Over the course of a year, you could reap huge savings. 

Where would you install Keen Smart Vents in your home?

*I was given a Keen Home Vent for central heating and air for my honest review.  All opinions are my own.