Look for an Automatic Delay Fan Switch in Your Next Air Conditioner

Choosing a new air conditioner is a lot like choosing a new car. There are very basic models without many advanced features that will get the job done, while there are other models that come with all kinds of bells and whistles that can greatly improve performance levels. When it comes to air conditioners, many of those extra features will improve your system’s efficiency levels and lower your monthly cooling bills. One such feature is an automatic delay fan switch. Today we’re going to talk about what an automatic delay fan switch is and why you should consider installing a system with this feature!

Conditioned air can get stuck in your ducts after a cooling cycle

Your air conditioner cools your home by blowing warm return air over the cold evaporator coils located in the indoor portion of your cooling system. In order for that cooled air to be useful, it has to travel through your ductwork to be delivered to each of your home’s living spaces. The cooling process continues until your thermostat senses that your home has reached an appropriate temperature, when it sends a signal to your system to shut down.

In a traditional air conditioner, both the compressor and the air handler are shut down at the same time when it receives a signal from the thermostat. The problem with this approach is that there will still be a significant amount of conditioned air that is left inside of your ductwork that never had the chance to reach your living spaces.

You can compare this situation to using a hose with a nozzle. When you release the nozzle, there is still water inside of the hose. Even when you shut the water off, some water is left in the hose until the next time that the water is turned on and the nozzle is triggered. With an air conditioner, this problem can be solved with an automatic delay fan switch.

How does an automatic delay fan switch work?

An automatic delay fan switch tells your air conditioner’s air handler to continue to operate for a few minutes after the compressor has been shut off. This forces all of the cool air that’s left in your ductwork after a cooling cycle to be pushed out of your ducts and into your rooms where it can actually be felt. After those minutes are up, the delay switch shuts off your air handler until the next cooling cycle.

What are the benefits of installing a system with an automatic delay fan switch?

The main benefits of installing an automatic delay fan switch relate to efficiency levels. For one, you will get the maximum amount of use out of the energy that your air conditioner consumes. With a traditional system, the energy that is used to cool the air that’s left in your ducts goes to waste. In a system with an automatic delay fan switch, all of the energy used to cool your home’s air will be put to actual use.

Another benefit of an automatic delay fan switch is that it can increase the amount of time in between cooling cycles. That’s because your home will get more cool air out of each cooling cycle, which maintains your desired temperature level for a longer period of time. This helps limit the amount of work your air conditioner has to do, which can lower your utility bills.

If you have any questions about an automatic delay fan switch, or if you’d like a cooling system serviced or installed in your home, contact Hydes, your Coachella Valley air conditioning contractor.