Your Favorite Hack For Wet Shoes Is Doing More Harm Than Good

Nothing is worse than wet shoes. A quick trip in the rain or snow, and it feels like they will stay wet forever. To try and speed up the process, you may place them over your vent while the heat is running. It seems like an easy solution to dry your shoes quickly, and it even leaves you with nice, warm feet to fight off the chill of the outside.

However, using a heating vent to dry your shoes may end up hurting more than helping, especially when it comes to your HVAC system. According to Matt Gorbacz, the owner and president at Clean Air Technologies, who spoke exclusively to House Digest, it makes the system work harder over time. "I have seen this cause uneven heating and extra strain on the blower, especially if it is done often," Gorbacz said. 

You might assume that the biggest issue with this is a higher bill. However, according to Gorbacz, it's a minor concern. "If you only do it for a few hours a day, the impact on the heating bill is usually small," he explained. "The system might run a little longer to reach the thermostat setting because airflow is not balanced." While every penny counts, the minor increase may feel worth it for reliably dry shoes. However, there are bigger issues at play that you might not even realize.

It might not be noticeable at first, but using this method can lead to your HVAC system wearing out faster, sometimes years earlier than normal. Even if you try using other useful tips to prolong the life of your HVAC system, you might find yourself having to replace it much sooner than you would need to otherwise. What feels like a minor and harmless hack can make your heating system's job a lot harder. "In fact, even if you cover just one vent, it still affects airflow," Gorbacz shared during his exclusive interview with House Digest.

That's because of the excess strain you are putting on your HVAC system. "You see, these systems are designed to move a certain amount of air through the ductwork. And when you block a vent, the air has to go somewhere else," Gorbacz further explained. Usually, the air will go to another vent. This increases pressure in your ducts and can cause your HVAC system to work harder than it needs to push the same amount of air through fewer vents. Over time, this can wear down the ducts, as the heater has to work harder to warm up your home. This is also why you should think twice before closing off vents in the winter.

It's not just the fact that your shoes affect the flow of heat throughout your home, though. The water from them can cause harm in the long run as well. "Also, putting a dripping wet shoe on a vent is risky. That's because the moisture can get into the duct or sit around the vent cover, which can lead to rust or even mold in some cases," Matt Gorbacz shared during his exclusive interview with House Digest. You normally need to clean your air ducts every three to five years, but if there are signs of mold or debris, the process might have to be done more often. Since it's not always easy to do yourself, this can lead to a hefty bill from an HVAC technician more often than usual. Gorbacz also warned that while the risk of a fire from placing your shoes on a vent to dry is low, it's still a possibility, especially if you have any loose wires nearby.

So, how do you safely dry your shoes? According to Gorbacz, "If you still need to dry shoes, place them near the vent, and not directly on top of it." Don't set them too close, though. You want 6 to 12 inches of space around vents for maximum airflow.