
Central Air Conditioners: Fan Only
Central air conditioners also have a fan-only setting. When you put the thermostat on this setting, the air conditioner won’t run any cooling cycles. However, it will keep the air handler’s fan running. The air handler’s fan will circulate the air in your home. All of the air will pass through the air conditioner’s filter. This will improve your home’s air quality, but it won’t affect the temperature or humidity level in your home. Some people like to put their air conditioners on in this setting during the nighttime. When the central air conditioner is on the fan-only setting, it will use about 750 watts per hour no matter what its cooling capacity is. In comparison, a 42-inch ceiling fan uses about 800 watts per hour of electricity.