Showerthought: Running your furnace fan 24/7 actually cut my gas bill by 15% in Edmonton

Honestly I thought it would waste more electricity but my buddy who works on HVAC systems told me to try it last December. The idea is it evens out the temp across the house so the furnace doesnt kick on as hard or as often. My January bill dropped from $280 to $238 which surprised me. Anyone else tried this or got another trick that sounds backwards but actually works?

4 comments

4 Comments

jadej506d ago

Respectfully, @pat_moore, I see bigger savings with a modern variable speed motor versus older units.

claire_young766d ago

Most of the savings probably came from how cold it was that month rather than the fan trick. Running a blower motor for 12 extra hours a day is going to cost you on the electric side, and those savings could easily get eaten up in summer when you're running the AC. I'd want to see the math over a full year before buying into this.

the_christopher6d ago

Does that include the filter changes from running it all the time?

pat_moore6d ago

Exactly @claire_young76, you nailed the thing nobody mentions. I tried that fan trick for two months straight last winter and my electric bill actually went up about $8, but my gas bill dropped maybe $12. Ended up saving a whole $4 for running that fan nonstop while we froze. Come summer I did the same test and the AC had to work twice as hard to keep up, so those tiny winter savings disappeared fast. The motor itself uses way more power than people realize, especially if you have an older unit like I do. A whole year of messing with it just ended up being a wash for me, not worth the noise or the hassle.