When the weather starts to cool off, you may be wondering about how you’ll prepare your heating and cooling. After all, HVAC bills frequently add up to a large piece of your monthly electric bill. To try and find ways to reduce costs, some people look closely at their thermostat. Is there 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 the HVAC system? This guide can help. We’ll review just what the fan setting is and when you can use it to reduce costs during the summer or winter.

How Do I Access the Fan Setting on My Thermostat?

For most thermostats, the fan setting signifies that the HVAC blower fan keeps running. Some furnaces will run at a low level in this setting, but in most cases heating or cooling isn’t being generated. The ‘Auto’ setting, conversely, will run the fan through a heating or cooling cycle and shut it off when the cycle is over.

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

Advantages to utilizing the Fan/On setting:

  • You can keep the temperature in every room more balanced by allowing the fan to keep running.
  • Indoor air quality should improve since steady airflow will keep passing airborne contaminants through the air filter.
  • A smaller number of start-stop cycles for the blower fan helps expand its life span. As the air handler is typically a component of the furnace, this means you can avoid needing furnace repair.

Disadvantages to utilizing the Fan/On setting:

  • A continuous fan will likely add to your energy expenses by a small margin.
  • Continuous airflow may clog your air filter soon, increasing the frequency you will want to replace it.

Which Setting for My Thermostat? Fan or Auto in Each Season

During the summer, warm air can persist in unfinished spaces like the attic or an attached garage. If you use the fan setting, your HVAC system can pull this warm air into the rest of your home, pushing the HVAC system to work more to preserve the preferred temperature. In severe heat, this could result in needing AC repair more regularly as wear and tear grows.

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

If you’re still trying to decide if you should use the fan/on setting, don’t forget that every home and family’s comfort needs will vary. Leaving the HVAC system’s fan on might 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 can help 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 lessen these changes by steadily refreshing each room’s ventilation.