Yesterday, I had my furnace checked out. The HVAC person told me to have the fan run all the time. He told me it would help even out the temperatures and humidity. Is this a good idea or not?
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The Money Pit
Home Improvement Tips & Podcasts
Should We Run Furnace Blower All the Time?
Yesterday, I had my furnace checked out. The HVAC person told me to have the fan run all the time. He told me it would help even out the temperatures and humidity. Is this a good idea or not?
The new theory on running the fan longer is that with the new higher efficiency heating and cooling systems combined with tight energy savings homes the comfort level is maintained longer between the cycles of the heating or cooling equipment.
In your case I suspect that your furnace is oversized. This often results in short cycles of heating to satisfy the thermostat control but causes large temperature swings within the home. By running the fan on the on position it allows the air in the room to mix making it more comfortable. But as Tom stated because your furnace is not a high efficiency unit it will end up costing you much more to increase your comfort.
My suggestion is to have a BPI home energy audit performed on your home. This $200 to $300 analysis of the homes energy needs can help pinpoint why your home is uncomfortable and what measures you can take to improve its energy efficiency and make you feel more comfortable. They can also assist you in sizing the heating and cooling equipment that the house really needs.
It will definitely help even out temperatures but it will also definitely drive up your electricity costs! If you have uneven heating, a good HVAC pro should be able to figure out a better long term solution than that.