AC Fan Running Continuously? Why You Should Call A Heating And AC Repair Technician | Azle, TX
Why does the AC blower fan continue running even after shutting off the air conditioner? Why is the air handler fan not shutting off? Life without an HVAC system can be inconvenient for some homeowners. Additionally, any heating and air conditioning problems might make your unit fail to deliver the required cooling, and one of them is a continuously running AC fan. Although you might not notice this at the beginning, you will later find out about various issues, such as improper air circulation. Although a fan that doesn’t shut off might seem like a simple issue, several reasons could be causing it. Below are some problems that the heating and AC repair technician might diagnose as the reason for the always-running AC fans.
Reasons Your Air Conditioning Indoor Fan Will Not Turn On
Below are several reasons why the indoor fan of your air conditioning system will not turn off. While some are easier to fix, you should not do the repairs yourself. Rather, enlist a heating and AC repair technician in Azle, TX to diagnose and fix the problem.
Wrong Thermostat Settings
You might have heard that a thermostat is like a brain for your air conditioner. Inside it are sensors that control indoor temperatures and can also be used for adjusting fan settings. Do you own a digital thermostat, like a programmable or a smart thermostat? These settings can be found by toggling through the thermostat settings. On other thermostats, these could be manual settings that you select using a small switch. Either way, there are thermostat settings that, if left set, could make the fan run continuously for a long time, resulting in a high energy bill or a pressure imbalance in your HVAC system. Below are some of the thermostat settings that could see you call a heating and AC repair company in Azle, TX because the fan motor is always running:
Fan Setting
There are two choices regarding fan settings in many air conditioners; AUTO and ON. When the fan setting is set to AUTO, the fan motor will normally run whenever the air conditioner’s outside unit is running and the thermostat set temperatures haven’t been reached. Hence, it will run until the temperatures are reached. Immediately the temperatures are reached, or as soon as the air indoors is cooled to your preferred levels, the condenser will shut off. Consequently, the fan motor will shut down in about 20-60 seconds. This ensures that the extra cooled or conditioned air is pushed from the ducts and into your indoor space. If the fan motor continues running way beyond a minute, you should have a heating and AC repair technician come over for an inspection and repair.
On the other hand, if the fan motor is set to the “ON” position, the fan will keep running throughout. There could be a situation where you want this to happen for a while. However, the fan should normally be in the AUTO position. Otherwise, the fan motor won’t turn off, making your AC unit’s fan keep running even after reaching the thermostat set temperatures. Whenever this happens, your air conditioner will experience wear and tear, resulting in a need for frequent heating and AC repairs. You could also see an increase in energy utility bills come the month or billing cycle’s end. Hence, you should have your unit maintained and inspected by a heating and AC repair technician regularly. You also should practice good AC usage hygiene.
You should leave your thermostat most of the time in the AUTO mode. Heating and AC repair technicians and homeowners are engaged in an ongoing discussion over this. The air at your Azle, TX home will be thoroughly “cleaned” more when the filter runs continuously in ON mode. Second, as the damp and stale air in your home constantly circulates over the cold evaporator coil, more moisture is condensed out of the air, making the air dryer more comfortable. The benefits of leaving your thermostat set to FAN ON are as follows. However, if your blower motor is older, this mode will consume more electricity, resulting in higher utility expenses. Typically, they are PSC motors, which are substantially more powerful than ECM motors.
Second, the coil will finally warm up, and the indoor air will be thoroughly filtered, at least up until the AC turns on once more. You will not retain your “gains” from the ON mode. Therefore, running the air conditioning system with the fan motor in the “ON” settings is logical for several hours until indoor air quality improves. This is especially if for some reason, you want temporarily increased air filtration or if the air is particularly humid on a given day – perhaps you’ve been away and left the AC off. You come back home after several days to a warm, musty house. So, if you find the AC fans constantly running, you should have a heating and AC repair technician come over for an inspection.
Too Low (or Too Cold) Thermostat Temperature Settings
Is your Azle, TX home or indoor space properly ventilated or insulated? Then an efficiently and effectively functioning air conditioning unit should be able to lower the temperatures of your home to whatever thermostat levels you prefer, especially within minus twenty degrees of the outside air temperatures. If it’s 80 degrees outside and you’ve set your thermostat to 70, your air conditioner should easily cool your indoor space to 70 degrees. So, what happens when the outside temperatures hit 100 degrees, but you still have set your thermostat to 70 degrees? Then you will experience a constantly running air conditioning system with the inside and outside units not shutting down.
Unfortunately, this also means you’ll be paying more energy utility bills. Additionally, your system will experience wear and tear, which could mean you have to call a heating and AC repair technician to replace or repair some components. You could also be forced to prematurely replace the fans and other mechanical parts, such as the motors. Hence, if you live in an extremely hot place, you should have a heating and AC repair or installation technician install an AC that can accommodate the higher average temperatures outside. The other solution to this is being realistic when setting your thermostat or installing a smart thermostat. Usually, a thermostat setting between 70-75 degrees will result in a comfortably cooled home.
However, if the outdoor temperatures go over 90 degrees, you should adjust the thermostat settings upwards. A smart thermostat can readjust based on how it senses the temperature changes outside, eliminating the hassle of manually setting them. This prevents the air conditioner from overworking and the fan running always. Hence, you can avert potential premature heating and AC repairs. It is also possible that the settings on the thermostat were changed accidentally to very low temperatures, which the air conditioning system cannot realistically reach.
Thermostat Is Bad
Because the thermostat features components that tell your unit’s indoor fan whenever to turn on or off, if faulty, the thermostat could make the fan not shut off or on. Have you ensured that the fan settings are all right but constantly running? Then you should have a heating and AC repair technician come over for a further inspection. The other reason they might diagnose as the cause for the continually running AC fan is a faulty thermostat. The technician will remove the thermostat cover to begin inspecting the thermostat. If the AC fan stops running immediately, they will diagnose the thermostat as the problem. Placing the thermostat cover back on will make the AC fans start running again. Although there may be a delay of a minute or so, that should be enough sign that the thermostat is faulty. The heating and AC repair company in Azle, TX might inspect the thermostat wiring and sensors to ensure they are in the right state. If damaged, they will recommend various solutions, the key being a repair or a replacement.
Wiring to the Thermostat Is Shorted
A terminal on your thermostat’s backplate is where several tiny wires exit the air handler, which may be the furnace, AC, heat pump, or HVAC at your Azle, TX home. This is the first place the heating and AC repair technicians will check when they come for a thermostat inspection. Given that the same fan circulates both cool and warm air, this is typically a component of your heating and air conditioning system. Two of these little wires, normally red and green, are connected by internal components when the AC thermostat requires the fan to operate. Though they are enclosed in a single insulated sheath, these wires are relatively close. The fan would continue to blow even when the AC was turned off if it became “shorted” and touched outside their insulation. The insulation may have been eaten away or torn by a mouse, the wires may have become pinched somewhere in the wall, or a nail or screw may have been driven through the insulation.
When the heating and AC repair technician comes for an inspection or maintenance visit, they use tools like multimeters. The professional checks the voltage difference or readings between the C(common) and G(fan) terminals on the thermostat’s backplate. If the thermostat cover is off, there should be any voltage reading or difference. This means that the multimeter should be reading 0V. If the voltage reading between the two terminals is 24V, that shows that the wires are possibly shorted. The technician will repair the ensure to ensure that the fan is running properly.
But what should be the reason for the short-circuiting? One of the main causes is when the wires aren’t secured firmly. Additionally, short-circuiting can be caused by bare sections of the wiring touching each other. This may be because rodents have chewed the insulation. The heating and AC repair technician will wrap the overtipped section in duct tape to insulate it if a wiring has been peeled too far along its length, exposing it to short-circuiting with another wire. That may be all necessary to fix the “AC fan won’t shut off” problem. Hence, the next time you determine that you are dealing with a short-circuiting thermostat issue, you should call a professional.
Stuck or Defective Fan Control Relay
Within your air conditioner, furnace, or HVAC system are different components that tell the fan it’s time to turn off or on under different conditions. One of these components is the fan control relay. This component is on a printed AC circuit board and many other minute components. If your fan is constantly running, that could be because the control relay is defective. This could be because the fan control relay contacts are always closed and must be replaced by a reliable, experienced heating and AC repair company in Azle, TX.
The other issue could be because the relay contacts have been stuck in the closed position. This could happen especially when the contactors are pitted from using the unit for many years without cleaning. But what is a relay? It is rectangular or square plastic fitted in the AC circuit board. Although you might be tempted to replace or repair the fan control relay, this could have other devastating consequences. Rather, it is recommended that you enlist the services of a heating and AC repair technician for the job. Instead of repairing the relay (which will be a temporary fix), you are better off hiring an experienced heating and AC repair technician to replace the component.
A constantly running AC fan is a recipe for other underlying problems. Hence, should it be fixed immediately? Have you noticed that your AC fans still run even after you shut off the unit? Contact us at One Hour Air Conditioning & Heating of Fort Worth for a thorough inspection and quick repair.
See our previous blog post here!