As the weather begins to cool off, you might be wondering about how you’ll take full advantage of your heating and cooling. After all, HVAC costs can add up to a big chunk of your monthly electric bill. To learn new ways to reduce costs, some people take a closer look at their thermostat. Maybe there’s a setting they can use to boost efficiency?

The bulk of thermostats include both a ‘Fan’ or ‘Fan On’ setting. But if the fan is running during a regular cycle, what does 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 reduce costs in the summer or winter.

My Thermostat Has a Fan Setting?

For the majority of thermostats, the fan setting signifies that the HVAC blower fan keeps running. Certain furnaces will generate heat at a low level in this setting, but in general heating or cooling isn’t being produced. The ‘Auto’ setting, on the other hand, will run the fan through a heating or cooling cycle and turn it off after the cycle is complete.

There are pros and cons to switching on the fan setting on your thermostat, and what’s ideal {will|can|should]] depend on your personal 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 running.
  • Indoor air quality can increase since constant airflow will keep forcing airborne particles through the air filter.
  • Fewer start-stop cycles for the system’s fan helps extend its life span. Since the air handler is often a component of the furnace, this means you might avoid needing furnace repair.

Drawbacks to utilizing the Fan/On setting:

  • A nonstop fan can raise your energy bills slightly.
  • Constant airflow can clog your air filter soon, increasing the frequency you should replace it.

Should My Thermostat Be on? 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 leave the fan on, your HVAC system can draw this warm air into the rest of your home, pushing the HVAC system to work more to preserve the set temperature. In severe heat, this can result in needing AC repair more quickly as wear and tear increases.

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

If you’re still trying to determine if you should switch to the fan/on setting, remember that every home and family’s comfort needs will vary. Leaving the HVAC system’s fan on might be ideal for you if:

Someone in your household deals with allergies. Allergies and similar 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 deals with hot and cold spots. Lots of homes wrestle 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 constantly refreshing each room’s ventilation.