When the weather is cooling off, you may be thinking about how you’ll take full advantage of your heating and cooling. After all, HVAC bills can make up a large piece of your monthly electric bill. To figure out new ways to reduce costs, some owners look closely at their thermostat. Maybe there’s a setting they can use to boost efficiency?
The majority of thermostats have a ‘Fan’ or ‘Fan On’ setting. But if the fan is going during a typical cycle, what can the fan setting provide for the HVAC system? This guide can help. We’ll walk through what exactly the fan setting is and how you can use it to cut costs in the summer or winter.
What Is the Fan Setting on My Thermostat?
For the bulk of thermostats, the fan setting indicates that the air handler’s blower fan remains on. Certain furnaces will run at a low level with this setting, but for the most part heating or cooling isn’t being generated. The ‘Auto’ setting, on the other hand, will start the fan over a heating or cooling cycle and turn it off when the cycle is over.
There are advantages and disadvantages to trying the fan setting on your thermostat, and what's ideal {will|can|should]] depend on your distinct comfort requirements.
Advantages to switching to the Fan/On setting:
- You can keep the temperature in every room more balanced by permitting the fan to keep circulating air.
- Indoor air quality can increase because constant airflow will keep moving airborne particles through the air filter.
- Fewer start-stop cycles for the HVAC fan helps extend its life span. Because the air handler is typically a component of the furnace, this means you could avoid needing furnace repair.
Disadvantages to utilizing the Fan/On setting:
- A nonstop fan could add to your energy costs by a small margin.
- Continuous airflow may clog your air filter in a shorter amount of time, increasing the frequency you’ll need to replace it.
Should My Thermostat Be on Fan or Auto in Summer/Winter
Through the summer, warm air can linger in unfinished spaces like the attic or an attached garage. If you use the fan setting, your HVAC system may draw this warm air into the rest of your home, pushing the HVAC system to work more to preserve the preferred temperature. In extreme heat, this can lead to needing AC repair more often as wear and tear gets worse.
The opposite can occur in the winter. Cooler spaces like a basement will hold onto cooler air, which will eventually drift into the rest of your home. Leaving the fan setting on may pump more cold air upward, increasing the amount of heating you need to remain warm.
If you’re still trying to figure out if you should use the fan/on setting, don’t forget that every home and family’s comfort needs are not the same. Leaving the HVAC system’s fan on could be ideal for you if:
Someone in your household deals with allergies. Allergies and other respiratory conditions can be stressful on the family. Leaving the fan on is more likely to improve indoor air quality, helping your family breathe easier.
Your home experiences hot and cold spots. Many homes deal with persistent hot and cold spots that quickly evolve to a temperature different from the rest of the house. The fan setting might help limit these changes by consistently refreshing each room’s ventilation.