When the weather starts to cool off, you are probably wondering about how you’ll take full advantage of your heating and cooling. After all, HVAC expenses can make up a big piece of your monthly electric bill. To try and find ways to lower their HVAC bill, some owners look closer at their thermostat. Maybe there’s a setting they should use to increase efficiency?

The bulk of thermostats include both a ‘Fan’ or ‘Fan On’ setting. But if the fan is on during a normal cycle, what will the fan setting offer for an HVAC system? This guide will help. We’ll review just what the fan setting is and when you can use it to save money during the summer or winter.

My Thermostat Has a Fan Setting?

For the majority of thermostats, the fan setting means that the air handler’s blower fan stays on. A few furnaces may continue to generate heat at a low level with this setting, but in general heating or cooling isn’t being produced. The ‘Auto’ setting, in contrast, will start the fan during a heating or cooling cycle and turn it off once 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 preferences.

Advantages to switching to the Fan/On setting:

  • You can keep the temperature throughout your home more uniform by permitting the fan to keep generating airflow.
  • Indoor air quality will be highest since continuous airflow will keep moving airborne pollutants into the air filter.
  • Fewer start-stop cycles for the HVAC fan helps expand its life span. Because the air handler is usually connected to the furnace, this means you could avoid needing furnace repair.

Downsides to utilizing the Fan/On setting:

  • A continuous fan can add to your energy costs by a small margin.
  • Nonstop airflow may clog your air filter in a shorter amount of time, increasing the frequency you will want to replace it.

{Choosing Between|Should My Thermostat Be on|Which Setting for My Thermostat? Fan or Auto in Summer/Winter

During the summer, warm air may persist in unfinished spaces like the attic or an attached garage. If you use the fan setting, your HVAC system might pull this warm air into the rest of your home, forcing the HVAC system to work harder to keep up with the set temperature. In severe heat, this may result in needing AC repair more often as wear and tear gets worse.

The reverse can take place in the winter. Cooler spaces like a basement will hold onto cooler air, which may eventually drift into the rest of your home. Keeping the fan on will sometimes draw more cold air upward, increasing the amount of heating you need to stay warm.

If you’re still trying to determine if you should try the fan/on setting, keep in mind that every home and family’s comfort needs are not the same. Leaving the HVAC system’s fan on may work for you if:

Someone in your household has allergies. Allergies and other respiratory conditions can be hard on the family. Leaving the fan on is more likely to enhance indoor air quality, helping your family breathe easier.

Your home has hot and cold spots. Lots of homes wrestle with difficult hot and cold spots that quickly return to a temperature different from the rest of the house. The fan setting should help limit these changes by steadily refreshing each room’s ventilation.