Does The AC Fan Outside Always Run? The answer to this is no. The AC fan does not run non-stop. It's intended to cycle on and off, depending on the needs of the HVAC unit.
The main reason your AC unit fan isn't spinning could be a lack of power to the fan or an obstruction. The other potential issues are the fan isn't getting enough voltage, the fan motor is too hot, something is stuck in the fan blades, or the fan belt needs to be replaced.
No. It is the outside unit that discharges the heat from inside your home. An air conditioner is a machine that moves heat from low temperature (inside) to high temperature (outside). If the outside unit is not working, then the heat cannot be discharged.
Yes, you want the fan to run anytime the A/C is on. That is how the cold air gets blown into the space. Many A/C systems will kick the fan on automatically, but not all A/C systems will do this. Therefore, it is always best to have the system fan on whenever the A/C is on.
Restricted Airflow
If there's not enough air circulating, your AC will be ineffective at cooling your home. It can also overwork itself and reduce energy efficiency. Since the system can't cool things off, the outside fan may run constantly.
Does The AC Fan Outside Always Run? The answer to this is no.
If your air conditioning system won't turn off, there are most likely malfunctioning mechanisms, such as a faulty thermostat or fan limit switch, frozen evaporator coils, electrical issues, or incorrect thermostat or fan speed settings.
It only makes you FEEL cooler because it's moving air over your skin, carrying the heat away from your body. This is the wind chill factor you hear on the Weather Channel so often. So it's doing nothing to lower the temperature in your home, meaning your A/C will run just as long whether the fan is on or not.
Your blower motor circulates air through the furnace and can provide uniform temperatures. Many people leave their HVAC fan on all day, while others opt for two to three cycles per hour, ranging from ten to 25 minutes, depending on how close to heating or cooling temperatures they are.
AUTO is significantly more energy efficient between the two modes since the fan is only running when your AC is going through its cooling cycle. This takes less power, which is more budget-friendly, with some estimates showing you can save as much as $50 per month just by keeping your AC on AUTO.
The outdoor unit also has a fan that pulls air through the outdoor coil. This process allows the system to release heat that has been absorbed from inside the home. Central, split-system, ductless, and packaged air conditioners all use fans.
Keeping the fan on creates a more even 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 it's lifespan.
In AC systems, the air conditioner reset button is on the outside unit's lower edge, typically close to the ground. Some models have the reset button located behind the service panel, which may require tools to remove. Reset buttons are usually red or yellow with a clear “reset” label.
The outside portion of your air conditioner is most often referred to as the “condenser unit.” Whereas the inside part of your air conditioner is responsible for absorbing heat from your home's air, your outside unit's job is to release that heat to the air outside.
If the internal fan is not spinning, the AC unit won't be effective because the flow of air will stop, and the home will remain warm. There is also another AC fan on the outside unit that helps disperse heat that is released from the HVAC system.
Keeping your fan on AUTO is the most energy-efficient option. The fan only runs when the system is on and not continuously. There is better dehumidification in your home during the summer months. When your fan is set to AUTO, moisture from cold cooling coils can drip and be drained outside.
Does it bring in fresh air? No, air conditioners do not bring in fresh air from the outside. That's not how they were designed. What actually happens is that your air conditioner uses a fan to draw air into the unit and disperse it through a structure.
An air conditioner fan should never run constantly unless you manually switch it to this setting. However, if you do not have your thermostat's fan set to “on” and your air conditioner fan is still running, you may be experiencing a malfunctioning air conditioning unit.
The primary benefit of running your HVAC fan consistently: Air circulation improvements. Running the fan more often means air in your home circulates faster, leading to everything from more even temperature distribution to faster heating or cooling.
Fans serve as a great partner for your air conditioning system and should be used throughout the summer to improve the efficiency of your AC unit.
When indoor air temperatures are hotter than about 95 °F: Fan use may cause your body to gain heat instead of lose it. On very hot, humid days, sweat evaporates off the skin slower than normal, and fans make it even more difficult for the body to lose heat by sweating.
Some of the most common reasons that the fan on your AC system keeps running are: Too much hot air is getting into your house because of air leaks and poor insulation—your AC can't keep up. Something is impeding the airflow in your AC system and ductwork, causing the fan to work harder.
A bad thermostat can be detected when your AC or furnace is not turning on, your HVAC systems are not turning off, the thermostat not responding, your HVAC system is short-cycling, the room temperature not matching the temperature displayed on the thermostat, and the programmed setting resetting themselves.
A typical AC fan motor uses about 500 watts when it's running. Therefore, if you run the fan continuously for a 30-day month (720 hours), you would use 360,000 watt hours (720 x 500) or 360 kilowatt hours (kWh). Therefore, the fan uses about 360 kWh per month in the ON mode.