When the weather begins to cool off, you may be thinking about how you’ll prepare your heating and cooling. After all, HVAC expenses routinely make up a significant chunk of your monthly electric bill. To learn new ways to reduce costs, some people look closer at their thermostat. Maybe there’s a setting they can use to improve efficiency?

The bulk of thermostats have a ‘Fan’ or ‘Fan On’ setting. But if the fan is going during a typical cycle, what does the fan setting provide for your HVAC system? This guide should help. We’ll share precisely what the fan setting is and how you can use it to save money in 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 system’s blower fan stays on. Certain furnaces can run at a low level with this setting, but for the most part heating or cooling isn’t being produced. The ‘Auto’ setting, conversely, will turn on the fan through a heating or cooling cycle and turn 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 requirements.

Advantages to utilizing the Fan/On setting:

  • You can keep the temperature in each room more uniform by enabling the fan to keep circulating air.
  • Indoor air quality will be highest since steady airflow will keep forcing airborne particles through the air filter.
  • A smaller number of start-stop cycles for the blower fan helps extend its life span. Because the air handler is usually a component of the furnace, this means you could prevent the need for furnace repair.

Downsides to switching to the Fan/On setting:

  • A continuous fan could add to your energy expenses by a small margin.
  • Nonstop airflow may clog your air filter in a shorter amount of time, increasing the frequency you will want to replace it.

{Choosing Between|Should My Thermostat Be on|Which Setting for My Thermostat? Fan or Auto in Each Season

In the summer, warm air can linger in unfinished spaces such as the attic or an attached garage. If you leave the fan on, your HVAC system can pull this warm air into the rest of your home, forcing the HVAC system to work more to maintain the desired temperature. In extreme heat, this can result in needing AC repair more quickly as wear and tear grows.

The opposite 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 setting on will sometimes pump more cold air upward, increasing the amount of heating you need to remain warm.

If you’re still trying to determine if you should switch to 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 stressful on the family. Leaving the fan on is more likely to increase indoor air quality, helping your family breathe easier.

Your home has hot and cold spots. Lots of homes deal with difficult 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 constantly refreshing each room’s ventilation.