Number two on the list of home comfort... Zoning. Think about how municipalities break up any given area into zones. Well, if you apply a similar strategy to you home you may just find it to be a more comfortable environment. The zones in your home have nothing to do with industrial, retail or similar terms but instead these zones are managed with a different focus. By separating areas of your home into comfort areas you will be able to focus on their independent climates more than on the house as a whole.
It stands to reason that your living room should harbor a much more comfortable temperature then the mud room. Perhaps the guest bedroom that is currently unoccupied need not be as warm/cool as the master bedroom. If that is the case, why not manage them with this reasoning in mind? Close the vents in the mud room and keep that door to the foyer shut. With little to no traffic in that room it makes no sense to maintain a comfy 71 degrees in there when that heat or air conditioning could be better used elsewhere in the home. The same is true with the guest room. Aunt Helga won't be here for several weeks. Close it off and save that energy. A day or two before her arrival open it back up and she will be as comfortable as a kitten in a sock drawer. Unless of course you would rather a quick visit... then you might keep the vents on the shy side of closed.
A proactive approach to your homes HVAC management, including zoning the house, will help you reduce costs, save unnecessary wear and tear on your system and provide you with the best long term living conditions.
