When the weather begins to cool off, you may be concerned about how you’ll take full advantage of your heating and cooling. After all, HVAC costs can add up to a big piece of your monthly electric bill. To figure out new ways to reduce costs, some people look closely at their thermostat. Maybe there’s a setting they should use to increase efficiency?

The majority of thermostats include both a ‘Fan’ or ‘Fan On’ setting. But if the fan is going during a typical cycle, what does the fan setting offer for an HVAC system? This guide should help. We’ll review precisely what the fan setting is and how you can use it to save money over the summer or winter.

How Do I Access the Fan Setting on My Thermostat?

For most thermostats, the fan setting indicates that the system’s blower fan keeps running. Certain furnaces can run at a low level with this setting, but for the most part heating or cooling isn’t being made. The ‘Auto’ setting, on the other hand, will turn on the fan through a heating or cooling cycle and turn it off once the cycle is finished.

There are pros and cons to using the fan setting on your thermostat, and what’s ideal {will|can|should]] depend on your personal comfort needs.

Advantages to using 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 will be highest since constant airflow will keep passing airborne particles through the air filter.
  • Fewer start-stop cycles for the HVAC fan helps expand its life span. Since the air handler is typically connected to the furnace, this means you could avoid needing furnace repair.

Disadvantages to switching to the Fan/On setting:

  • A continuous fan will likely raise your energy expenses slightly.
  • Nonstop airflow could clog your air filter soon, increasing the frequency you should replace it.

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

Through the summer, warm air may persist in unfinished spaces including the attic or an attached garage. If you leave the fan on, your HVAC system can draw this warm air into the rest of your home, pushing the HVAC system to run longer to preserve the desired temperature. In serious heat, this could result in needing AC repair more regularly as wear and tear gets worse.

The opposite can happen over the winter. Cooler spaces such as a basement will hold onto cooler air, which may eventually flow into the rest of your home. Leaving the fan setting on may pull more cold air upward, increasing the amount of heating you need to stay warm.

If you’re still trying to decide 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 be best 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 should help to improve indoor air quality, helping your family breathe easier.

Your home experiences 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 might help limit these changes by constantly refreshing each room’s supply of air.