The thermostat in your home is quite a bit more powerful than you may think. As a matter of fact, a single switch of a button can either prevent mold spores or dust mite growth, or can actually encourage it. The folks here at Hometown Comfort know full well how scary that thought can be and want to offer our valued clients insight they need to keep their homes and family safe. The thermostat setting we are referring to is that of the ‘fan on/auto’ setting on your fan switch.
When your thermostat fan switch is set to the ‘on’ position rest assured you are encouraging the growth of mold and even bugs in your home. When viewing your thermostat, take a peek at your fan settings. Most home thermostats display two options that you can toggle between – the ‘on’ and the ‘auto’ options. It is important to never leave your fan setting in the ‘on’ position for greater than one day at a time.
The reason is quite simple. When you leave the thermostat setting on the ‘on’ position your AC system is not allowed to dehumidify your living space. When the humidity levels in your home become increased, dust mites and mold spores increase as well. Statistics tell us to keep the humidity levels in your home somewhere between 25% and 50% in order to prevent mold growth and dust mite reproduction. These same statistics tell us that if you leave your fan in the ‘on’ position you are apt to increase the humidity levels in your home to a whopping 70-75%.
Why does the ‘On’ Setting Cause an Increase in Your Home’s Humidity Levels?
To explain this, let us first begin by defining the difference between the ‘auto’ fan setting and the ‘on’ setting. The ‘auto’ fan setting allows the AC blower to run only during the actual cooling cycles and shuts off in between the cycles. The ‘on’ fan setting means that the AC blower fan will run 24/7 no matter if the AC is actually cooling the air in your living space or not.
Your AC blower fan has a primary function of sucking in humid, warm air from your inside living space and blowing it over the cold evaporator coils of your system. These evaporator coils then absorb heat and moisture from the atmosphere. The fan then pushes all the dry, cool air back into your living space. When the fan shuts off at the end of a cooling cycle, any moisture that collected on the evaporator coils will drip into the condensate pan.
When your fan is in the ‘on’ position it runs constantly which means moisture is not allowed to collect or to drip into that condensate pan. Rather, the fan actually blows the moisture right back into your living space. When this occurs the humidity levels in your home greatly increase and with increased humidity levels comes increased mold spores and dust mite infestations as well.
The team here at Hometown Comfort hopes that you have found this information useful. Our expert technicians are committed and dedicated to providing top of the line HVAC products and services to all our clients along with important information they may need. With that said, we highly recommend you check your fan switch setting on your home thermostat and ensure that it is set in the ‘auto’ position rather than the ‘on’ position to contribute to the overall safety of your home and family.
Remember, if you are in need of any type of HVAC services or products then we are the team for you. Simply give a shout out to our staff and schedule your service or repair appointment. We look forward to serving you and to providing you with the best all round HVAC services and products this side of Tennessee. Don’t delay. Contact our friendly team of professionals today!!
