Is It Okay to Run the Blower Fan by Itself?

High-quality residential air conditioning installation in Fair Oaks, CA is an investment, so you have to be sure to care for and maintain your AC from the start. This leads us to a good question: Is it okay to run the blower fan on its own, without running the air conditioner? Some homeowners say it’s fine, but the pros have some other ideas.

Fresh air, less stuffy air

If you are here reading this, then you want to know whether it’s a good idea to run your home’s AC blower fan without actually turning on the air conditioner itself. Here’s the short answer: It may make sense to do this since it helps circulate air and prevents a stuffy indoor environment, but it is most likely costing you more money in the long run.

Over the decades since home air conditioning came onto the scene, people have been enjoying the comfort of cool air blowing through their homes. AC air instantly cools you, moves previously stagnant air in rooms, saves you from humidity and provides overall comfort. But before AC, there were (and still are) fans. Everyone has fans in their house, and there’s even a fan on your central air conditioner that’s powerful enough to force air through your entire house.

How the blower works

Inside your AC unit is a part called a blower. Its purpose is to blow the air sitting cooled inside of the exchanger throughout your living spaces through the ductwork. Modern blowers are highly efficient and do a great job distributing air, so it’s not normal for people to use the blower without actually turning on the AC unit. While doing so may be seen as a money saver, it can actually present a host of issues.

Ducts will heat up

Running the blower fan without the air conditioner turned on is only more energy efficient in certain situations, and only for short periods of time. For starters, it’s important to note that your ducts are going to heat up right along with the outside temperatures. Ducts that are located in the attic or beneath flooring will be especially hot, regardless of how well these spaces are insulated. It’s for this reason that using just the blower may not be the best idea. When you turn on the blower fan and leave it to run, all you’re doing is circulating warm air throughout your home.

Use the blower fan correctly

Good news, though: there are certain situations that call for running the whole-home fan, all of which revolve around making sure your indoor comfort level is adequate. For example, maybe it’s cloudy outside and relatively cool, but it’s very stuffy inside. Running the blower fan for about an hour can help. However, if you plan to run the fan often and don’t want to turn it on and off all the time, get a thermostat that allows you to program the blower to run a short amount of time each hour. If it’s hot outside, you’re better off just running the AC.

Contact Cassel Air Conditioning and Heating Service to discuss the best type of air conditioning installation for your Fair Oaks, CA home.

Categorised in: AC Installation

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