We’re Big Fans of Indoor Air Quality

When the trained technicians from our environmental testing company visit a home or office in South Florida to do a wellness test, indoor air quality assessment or a mold inspection, one of the first things they will do is check the thermostat. We’re not concerned with the temperature setting; we want to see if the fan is set to AUTO or ON.

Even in January, South Florida, where our water and air quality testing company is based, can be hot and humid. That means our air conditioning systems get a lot of use! The air conditioning system in your home or office does more than just cool the air, though. It also lowers the humidity in your home and moves the air through the space.

Thermostat Settings

You may think that setting your fan to ON will help to keep the rooms in your home cooler, but you would be wrong.

If you have your fan set to AUTO, it will stop blowing when the air in your house reaches the desired temperature. If you have your fan set to ON, it will run continuously, regardless of fluctuations to the temperature.

So, what’s the problem?

“Since your AC is responsible for doing two jobs, cooling and dehumidifying, moisture from the air condenses on the cold evaporator coil when it runs,” the folks at Energy Vanguard explain. “By running the fan after the coil warms up, a lot of that water will evaporate and be put right back into your home.”

In other words, they say, “Your house will cool down quickly without dehumidifying well. Running the fan continuously makes the dehumidification worse and your home less comfortable.”

The folks at Energy Vanguard, which is an excellent source for information about the world of building science, home energy efficiency, green jobs and more, point out a few other reasons to keep your fan set to AUTO:

• You may create conditions that support the growth of mold
• Your energy bills will be higher
• You’ll increase your total duct leakage
• If you have unbalanced duct leakage, you may also increase the air leakage across your building enclosure.

The indoor air quality testing experts at AirMD, one of the most sought-after environmental testing companies, can help you keep your cool. Call us at 1 888 462 4763 (1 888 GO AIRMD) with your questions and concerns.