On your thermostat, you may notice the fan setting that has both an “auto” setting and an “on” setting. Upon some investigation, you will find that the “on” setting has your furnace fan running all the time opposed to just when the furnace cycle is on. This setting has some benefits, but it also has some considerations that you will want to know as well.
What An Always On Furnace Fan Does
If you choose to have your furnace fan always running, it doesn’t make your home cooler so much as it makes it more of an even temperature. The fan constantly circulates the air in your home regardless of if the furnace process is running. This means that if you have unevenly heated rooms, the fan will actually help even everything out.
Problems With Always Running the Furnace Fan
The above sounds like a pretty good deal, right? It can be, but not without some issues. The immediate concern to you may be energy usage. While it is true that running the fan on a furnace uses more energy, it is a minimal amount. Furnaces come with high efficiency motors, which means the process of starting is actually the most energy intensive time. The actual running of the appliance is quite energy efficient. In fact, the more even temperatures in your home may actually end up saving you some money on energy bills depending on your HVAC set up.
Another consideration is that running the furnace fan constantly will cause it to wear out sooner. This can be true, but only if you are really ignoring your furnace. The system is designed to run constantly if you so choose. However, you will want to be sure that it has maintenance done before furnace season in order to make sure the fan is not wearing down.