Ultimately, the best setting depends on your home and your preferences. However, here are some benefits of leaving the fan on with the heat: Improved Circulation: The fan helps circulate heat. During the winter, the “stack effect” can cause parts of your home to be warmer or cooler.
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.
You can definitely turn the fan off when the heat is not called for. However, if you have a forced air system, when there is a need for heat, the fan must run with it.
The outdoor fan for a heat pump should spin constantly during normal operation. It may even start spinning during the defrost cycle. If the fan won't move at all, there is a problem.
By keeping the fan on all the time you will increase your air quality. As long as the furnace/blower is running you will be constantly filtering your air. If quality of air is important then I would say to leave it on all the time. You did say low, however most furnaces will run on high speed in the fan on position.
Using the “Auto” Setting
This setting offers benefits including: Increased energy efficiency by running the fan only when needed. Extended filter life as the fan operates less frequently. Lower energy bills due to reduced electricity usage.
Potential Fan Motor Wear: Your furnace fan's motor is not designed for constant use. Running it continuously may lead to more frequent maintenance and repair needs. However, the added comfort and air quality benefits often outweigh these concerns.
One possible cause is that debris has built up inside the unit and blocked the fan blades from moving. The outside unit can easily get dirty or blocked with debris because of its location. To prevent this, keep the area around the unit clean. Remove leaves and anything else blocking the fan, and trim any nearby plants.
If your system's fan is running without a break, the distribution of cool or warm air in your home will be more even. This lessens the likelihood of rooms without a thermostat being too cold or too hot.
The short answer: Definitely not. (Unless you have manually engaged your outside fan to run constantly, but it shouldn't be running for hours on it's own.) If your HVAC is functioning correctly, it should keep your house cool by cycling on for 15-20 minutes at a time—with distinct pauses in between each cycle.
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.
Don't be so close to a fan or have it turned up so high that it causes chills, as shivering and the resulting goose bumps acts to increase the core body temperature.
Ultimately, the best setting depends on your home and your preferences. However, here are some benefits of leaving the fan on with the heat: Improved Circulation: The fan helps circulate heat. During the winter, the “stack effect” can cause parts of your home to be warmer or cooler.
If your furnace won't kick on when you turn the thermostat up, it could be due to a variety of reasons such as a tripped circuit breaker, a faulty thermostat, or a problem with the furnace itself like a malfunctioning igniter or gas valve. Checking these components might help you figure out the issue.
The Advantages of “Auto”
Higher Energy Efficiency — Using the “AUTO” setting helps increase energy efficiency by reducing the amount of energy used to keep your home comfortable. This means you're wasting less electricity and exposing your furnace system to less constant heating.
Should I Set My Thermostat Fan to "ON" or "AUTO"? The Short Answer Is: The best thermostat fan setting for your heating and cooling system depends on your comfort preferences and energy efficiency goals. "AUTO" is the more energy-efficient option, as it runs the fan only when heating or cooling is actively needed.
The ideal thermostat temperature in the winter is 68 degrees Fahrenheit when you're at home. Energy.gov suggests that 68 degrees is a good room temperature while you're awake at home but recommends lowering it while you're asleep or away.
The heater might blow cold air rather than warm if the gas line supply has been turned off. This usually happens when something goes wrong with the heater, and it breaks. For example, maybe there was a problem with a gas valve, the gas supply pipe, or something else in your furnace broke down.
If the outside fan doesn't run at all in heating mode, it could indicate a problem with the heat pump. When this happens, contact a professional. The outside fan should indeed run when your heat pump is in heating mode. It plays an important role in the heat transfer process and overall system efficiency.
Possible reasons include thermostat issues (incorrect settings or dead batteries), power problems (tripped circuit breaker or blown fuse), and furnace malfunctions (dirty air filter, faulty ignition system, or tripped safety switches). Checking these areas can help identify the issue.
If You Don't Have a Reset Button on Your Outdoor Unit
Unplug the unit from the power supply board and disconnect the system. This ensures that the AC unit is receiving no power whatsoever. Wait 30 minutes, then plug the unit back in.
Leaving the fan running reduces wear and tear on the motor since it's not starting and stopping repeatedly. It's also beneficial to boost filtration, but leaving it on this setting has more drawbacks than benefits. When it runs nonstop, the fan consumes more energy, and the air filter needs frequent replacement.
In some cases, like if you have an old model or if high temperatures make conditions dangerous, running your fan continuously is not a good idea. But in most other cases, continuous use of the furnace fan actually has a lot of benefits that will sway many homeowners to the affirmative.
A common question for homeowners is whether keeping the fan on their furnace running increases energy costs. While it may slightly raise your utility bill, there are other factors to consider, such as comfort, air quality, and system efficiency.