On or Auto: Which is the Better Thermostat Setting for Your Orlando Home?

When it comes to cooling and heating a home, people tend to take a lot of things for granted. One of them is the fan setting on their thermostat. Typically, these HVAC thermostat settings are either “on” or “auto.”

When the fan setting is “on,” the blower or air handler fan in your forced-air HVAC system runs constantly, whether the cooling or heating equipment is operating or not. The “auto” setting only operates in tandem with the A/C, furnace or heat pump. When the thermostat doesn’t signal the need for more heat or cooling, the fan doesn’t run.

Most experts say that “auto” is the preferred default choice for this thermostat setting, though “on” has its uses, as well.

The benefits of the “auto” setting include:

• It uses less energy and costs less money, since the fan remains off when no heating or cooling is occurring.
• For the same reason, there’s less stress on the blower machinery. Your equipment should last longer without the need for repair or replacement.
• There’s less stress on ductwork, with fewer air leaks developing, since air isn’t constantly blowing through them. Also, with the fan not operating all the time, not as much dirty air can infiltrate leaky ducts and circulate into the home.
• Using the “auto” setting is not as noisy, since any time your system isn’t providing heating or cooling, there’s no noise at all.

The benefits of the “on” setting include:

• You’ll have more effective air filtration, since the air will move through the filter many more times a day.
• Similarly, if you have whole-house humidification or dehumidification, the constantly running fan will remove/add more humidity than a fan that only operates during heating and cooling.
• Constant air circulation will provide more balanced temperatures in a home, whether the A/C or furnace is operating or not.

For more information about the preferred thermostat setting for your cooling or heating system, please contact us at Rinaldi’s Energy Solutions. We provide quality HVAC services to Orlando and surrounding communities in Central Florida.