Many people have never needed to buy a new heating system for their homes. Perhaps they inherited a system in a property they have purchased or have previously rented and had their heating needs met by their landlord. When it’s time to choose a heating system, it can be hard trying to figure out the best option, and during this process, it’s likely that they will hear about a variable speed fan. So what is a variable speed fan and will you need one for your heating system?

What is a Variable Speed Blower?

To get the best heating and cooling performance you will need a fan that can provide air flow to all of the registers located in your home in every season. A variable speed fan is the best option to meet this need for a number of different reasons.

Maintaining Indoor Comfort Levels

Many homes have at least one area that cannot be cooled or heated as well as the others. In homes like this, you may be putting a sweater on and off again as your furnace cycles to adjust the indoor temperature. In the hotter months, your home may feel cooler, but it could also feel clammy or even cave-like. A variable speed fan can solve these problems as it will adjust the speed to deliver more even temperatures in every room. The temperature is constantly adjusted from minute to minute, and the AC system will be 50% better at dehumidifying your home compared to a standard fan.

Increased Energy Efficiency

A variable speed blower uses far less energy compared to a traditional fan unit. Savings of up to $80 each year on average are not unusual, and this could really add up over the useful lifespan of your equipment. In real terms, the outdoor unit efficiency will be increased by up to 2 SEER in total.

Lower Noise Levels

A variable speed fan only needs to run at lower speeds for most of the time. Higher speed settings are only required during extreme weather conditions below 3° or above 95°. If the fan does run at full speed, the noise level is equivalent to the rush of air you would hear from the registers when using an older furnace. For most of the time the noise is so quiet you will not even hear it running in the background. A variable speed fan is often paired with an indoor unit that is installed in an insulated cabinet with sealed doors.

Improved Reliability

Older fan motors are one of the main reasons for the healthy condition of the AC repair industry. Many air conditioning companies keep spare fan motors on their trucks, and they will replace many motors during the year. A variable speed fan is far more robust and flexible in operation in every season throughout the year. They are more able to deal with conditions that are not ideal and less likely to fail when you need them most.