As the weather begins to cool off, you might be wondering about how you’ll prepare your heating and cooling. After all, HVAC costs can make up a big portion of your monthly electric bill. To try and find ways to lower their HVAC bill, some people look closely at their thermostat. Could there be a setting they can use to improve efficiency?

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

Should I Use My Thermostat’s Fan Setting?

For the majority of thermostats, the fan setting signifies that the HVAC blower fan remains on. Certain furnaces may continue to run at a low level in this setting, but in general heating or cooling isn’t being generated. The ‘Auto’ setting, in contrast, will start the fan during a heating or cooling cycle and switch it off once the cycle is over.

There are benefits and drawbacks to switching on the fan setting on your thermostat, and what’s ideal {will|can|should]] depend on your unique comfort needs.

Advantages to utilizing the Fan/On setting:

  • You can keep the temperature in each room more uniform by permitting the fan to keep generating airflow.
  • Indoor air quality should improve as steady airflow will keep passing airborne contaminants through the air filter.
  • A smaller number of start-stop cycles for the HVAC fan helps expand its life span. As the air handler is typically connected to the furnace, this means you might avoid needing furnace repair.

Drawbacks to using the Fan/On setting:

  • A constant fan will likely raise your energy bills somewhat.
  • Continuous airflow may clog your air filter up more quickly, increasing the frequency you should replace it.

{Choosing Between|Should My Thermostat Be on|Which Setting for My Thermostat? Fan or Auto in Each Season

In the summer, warm air will sometimes stick around in unfinished spaces such as the attic or an attached garage. If you keep the fan running, your HVAC system can pull this warm air into the rest of your home, pushing the HVAC system to work harder to maintain the preferred temperature. In severe heat, this may result in needing AC repair more quickly as wear and tear grows.

The opposite can occur over the winter. Cooler spaces like a basement will hold onto cooler air, which may eventually flow into the rest of your home. Leaving the fan running will sometimes draw more cold air upward, increasing the amount of heating you need to stay warm.

If you’re still trying to figure out if you should try the fan/on setting, remember that every home and family’s comfort needs are not the same. Leaving the HVAC system’s fan on might work for you if:

Someone in your household deals with allergies. Allergies and similar respiratory conditions can be tough on the family. Leaving the fan on should help to increase indoor air quality, helping your family breathe easier.

Your home deals with hot and cold spots. Lots of homes deal with persistent hot and cold spots that quickly shift to a temperature different from the rest of the house. The fan setting might help limit these changes by steadily refreshing each room’s supply of air.