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 expenses routinely add up to a big piece of your monthly electric bill. To try and find ways to reduce costs, some owners look closer at their thermostat. Is there a setting they could use to increase efficiency?

The bulk of thermostats have a ‘Fan’ or ‘Fan On’ setting. But if the fan is going during a normal cycle, what can the fan setting provide for your HVAC system? This guide should help. We’ll share precisely what the fan setting is and whether you can use it to cut costs over the summer or winter.

How Do I Access the Fan Setting on My Thermostat?

For the bulk of thermostats, the fan setting means that the air handler’s blower fan keeps running. Certain furnaces may continue to operate at a low level in this setting, but for the most part heating or cooling isn’t being made. The ‘Auto’ setting, conversely, will start the fan through a heating or cooling cycle and switch it off once the cycle is finished.

There are advantages and disadvantages to trying the fan setting on your thermostat, and the ideal option {will|can|should]] depend on your distinct comfort preferences.

Advantages to trying 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 will be highest because constant airflow will keep forcing airborne contaminants through the air filter.
  • A smaller amount of start-stop cycles for the blower fan helps lengthen its life span. As the air handler is typically a component of the furnace, this means you could prevent the need for furnace repair.

Drawbacks to utilizing the Fan/On setting:

  • A nonstop fan can raise your energy bills somewhat.
  • Constant airflow could clog your air filter in a shorter amount of time, 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

During the summer, warm air may stick around in unfinished spaces including the attic or an attached garage. If you keep the fan running, your HVAC system might pull this warm air into the rest of your home, pushing the HVAC system to work more to keep up with the set temperature. In serious heat, this could result in needing AC repair more quickly as wear and tear gets worse.

The opposite can happen over the winter. Cooler spaces like a basement will hold onto cooler air, which can eventually drift into the rest of your home. Leaving the fan setting on could pull 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 switch to the fan/on setting, remember that every home and family’s comfort needs are different. 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 tough on the family. Leaving the fan on should help to improve indoor air quality, helping your family breathe easier.

Your home has hot and cold spots. All kinds of homes deal with stubborn hot and cold spots that quickly return to a temperature different from the rest of the house. The fan setting might help minimize these changes by steadily refreshing each room’s airflow.