We often hear the debate around whether or not to run your AC Fan continuously. Here are the pros and cons of the ON vs Auto setting on your thermostat.
Continuously Running Your AC Fan
Pros and Cons
Setting Your HVAC Fan to “ON”
When you set your fan to “ON,” you’re telling it to keep running 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, regardless of the heating or cooling setting. There are a few positives to this feature.
Pros to Keeping Fan Continuously Running:
- Keeping the fan on creates an evener distribution of heating and cooling, circulating the air if you have cold or hot spots in your house, like a bedroom above a garage.
- Less frequent starts and stops of the fan can reduce the stress from startup, and potentially help extend its lifespan.
- Leaving the fan on 24/7 ensures cleaner air, as the air is pulled through the filtration or UV light system (assuming you have one of these features). This can be better for people with allergies.
- Better dehumidification. When your fan is continuously moving the air, it helps to dry it out.
Cons to Keeping Fan Continuously Running:
- It could cost you hundreds of dollars a year. The average unit has a 500-watt fan, which uses almost as much energy over the course of the year as a refrigerator, resulting in a $50/month bill.
Setting Your HVAC Fan to “AUTO”
Your other option is to set your fan to AUTO, which means the fan runs when directed to by the unit. Here are the pros and cons to this approach:
Pros to Setting Fan on Auto:
- This option is much more cost effective because you are using less energy. The fan’s “AUTO” setting works with your heating + cooling system, so your fan is running the least amount of time needed, at the slowest speed.
Cons to Setting fan on Auto:
- You may feel a less even distribution of heating and cooling because once the thermostat is satisfied, the fan stops moving air to other spaces in the home.
- More frequent starts and stops will make the fan wear out faster.
There is no right or wrong answer. Using the pros and cons above you can decide for yourself what will work best for you. Note that some systems and thermostats have another option called “Circulate”. This allows you to set the fan on for a certain amount of time every hour. The blower will automatically run at different speeds, giving you the benefits of lower electricity bills and increased comfort.
Of course one of the best ways to save money is to regularly maintain your unit. We offer new customer specials as well as regular maintenance program – called Bayside Comfort Care. The best thing you can do to avoid costly AC Repairs is to make sure you are maintaining your unit properly.
New Customer Specials
Check out our new Customer Specials