Did you know that your thermostat has a separate fan setting? There are both pros and cons to setting your thermostat fan to “on.” The determining factor might be whether you are more interested in saving energy costs or in improving your indoor air quality.
Keeping the thermostat fan on to improve indoor air quality.
The state of indoor air quality, or IAQ, is in decline in homes across America. (No exception hear in the Twin Cities.) There
are several things that you can do to improve your homes IAQ such as getting a few house plants or installing an air purification system. Did you know that setting your thermostat fan to “on” or to “circulate” keeps air circulating through your home allowing for improved IAQ too? The circulation of your indoor air through your HVAC system will remove pollutants on a regular basis as the air passes through your air filtration system. This is great news for allergy sufferers!
Isn’t keeping the thermostat fan on a waist of energy?
Maybe. It just depends on what type of thermostat and what type of HVAC fan you have. If you do not have a programmable thermostat it might be time to consider having one installed. You can save money on your energy bill by harnessing the power of a programmable thermostat’s advanced technology features. Most programmable thermostats have a “circulate” feature that will cycle your HVAC system, allowing you to get the best of both worlds—improved IAQ and energy savings!
Add an energy efficient fan for even more energy savings.
An energy efficient fan can take your savings to a more lucrative level. The most common energy efficient fan has variable speeds. Such a fan, when linked with the right thermostat, has the ability to control its speed to bring balance to energy consumption and comfort. The best of these setups can be tailored in to only use the amount of energy per hour that you specify.
We have been fulfilling the HVAC needs of the Twin Cities since 1974. Contact Marsh Heating and Air Condittioning Co., Inc today!
Our goal is to help educate our customers in Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minnesota about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). For more information about thermostat fans and other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Resource guide.
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