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What is a Fan Thermostat?

A. Leverkuhn
A. Leverkuhn

A fan thermostat is a thermostat that is connected to a cooling fan. The reason that designers attach thermostats to cooling fans is so that the fans can turn off when a desired temperature has been reached. This adds to the efficient operation of various fan devices, prevents excessive cooling, and helps to provide more accurate functions for a range of consumer devices.

There are a wide variety of items that a fan thermostat can be included in. A fan thermostat can be part of a ceiling fan design where the fan serves to provide comfort for inhabitants. They can also be part of an attic fan design, or an oven fan design, where the fan routes air out of a building. Fan thermostats can also be part of interior design for devices like computers, where hard-working microchips need to be cooled down in order to function well.

Fan thermostats are part of cars' climate control systems.
Fan thermostats are part of cars' climate control systems.

For a fan that is not attached to a thermostat, and does not have temperature controls, the thermostat and the fan can be wired together. In most cases, it’s best to consult electrical professionals to do these kinds of jobs. For those who do undertake them on their own, some safety steps are critically important, including shutting off power to the system before working on a fan or anything else around it.

The design of cooling systems under the hoods of cars and trucks include fan thermostat devices as well. Again, for proper safety, always turn off a vehicle fan system before working on or around it. The car thermostat is part of a sophisticated electrical system that must be diagnosed if there is a problem with auto cooling.

In modern heating and cooling systems, fan thermostats provide temperature controls for furnaces, boilers, and more, often through attachment to air ducts. In even newer kinds of systems, like geothermal systems, fan thermostats also help distribute air to achieve a specific desired temperature before shutting off the operation of the fan element.

Newer thermostats and systems that utilize the natural heat in the earth, solar energy, or other renewable energies are helping businesses and consumers to save money and conserve resources. They also help improve the environment and combat climate change. These sorts modern fan thermostats play a major part in energy-efficient designs for newer systems.

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    • Fan thermostats are part of cars' climate control systems.
      By: Anatoly Vartanov
      Fan thermostats are part of cars' climate control systems.