If the intent is to keep cool without racking up your energy bills, you’ll likely rely on your ceiling fan a great deal this summer. A well-known technique is to run a fan without AC until it gets too hot, then flip the fan off and use the air conditioner when you really need it. This is a mistake! Running the ceiling fan and air conditioner together is the optimal way to improve comfort and energy savings.
It might seem excessive to pursue two cooling methods together, but fans make your air conditioner more powerful. Consider these five tips to help you get more from your AC system this summer.
Install a Ceiling Fan
First—if you don’t already have ceiling fans throughout your home, consider installing a few. You should have the ability to switch out any light fixture in the middle of the room for a silent, reliable and fashionable ceiling fan.
Keep in mind that ceiling fans work best when the blades are seven to nine feet above the floor, 10 to 12 inches from the ceiling, and at least 18 inches from the walls. This means your ceilings should be at least eight-feet high, and rooms with vaulted ceilings may not benefit the way rooms with lower ceilings will.
As you might imagine, bigger fans can push more air than smaller sized ones. Get a 36- to 44-inch diameter fan for rooms as much as 225 square feet and 52-inch fans for deeper rooms. You can also set up multiple fans in the same area to cool rooms longer than 18 feet.
Confirm the Fan’s Direction
Ceiling fans can run in both directions. Confirm yours is set to spin counterclockwise during summer. This forces air back down to make the breeze appear more apparent.
If you’re uncertain whether your fan is turning the right way, turn it on and stay right below it. If the breeze seems low for how rapidly the blades are spinning, you probably need to reverse the direction.
Some fans have a remote control, particularly if they’re put in on a vaulted ceiling. Search for a button on the remote to reverse the direction. If your fan doesn’t have a remote, inspect the motor housing for a reversing switch.
Ceiling fans can rotate in both directions because driving the air upward is useful for cutting down heating costs in the winter. So when the seasons change, set your fan to spin clockwise and keep it on low to distribute warm air close to the ceiling back down to the living room without producing a breeze. This method is very beneficial in stairwells and rooms with vaulted ceilings.
Reset the Thermostat
You need to turn up the thermostat to enjoy energy savings from running a ceiling fan in the summer. Don’t worry about feeling uncomfortable—the “wind chill” effect produced by turning on a ceiling fan makes the room seem up to 4 degrees cooler. This concept, which can make winter weather miserable, is the answer to home comfort and energy savings in the summer.
If you ordinarily keep your house at 75 degrees, consider readjusting the thermostat to 77 or 78 degrees to make up for the wind chill effect created by using a ceiling fan. Then, adjust your outfit to improve your comfort level even more. Dressing for the season permits you to optimize comfort while minimizing cooling costs.
Turn Off the Fans in Empty Areas
It’s a popular belief that ceiling fans reduce the temperature in a room. Of course, they make you feel cooler, but all they do is shift air around. As a result, there’s not a good reason to keep a ceiling fan moving in an unused room. Fans might cost pennies on the dollar to run in contrast to air conditioners, but every little bit helps, so shut off the fan if you’re the last person to leave the room.
See Your Energy Savings Grow
If you stick to the tips laid out above, you should observe a decrease in your air conditioning costs for the rest of the summer. After all, you can save as much as 3 percent on your cooling costs for every degree you increase the thermostat. And by appreciating the wind chill effect formed by the ceiling fan, you can receive savings without giving up comfort.
Keep Cool with Help from Calverley Service Experts
Plainly, you shouldn’t overlook the impact ceiling fans can have on your home comfort this summer! If you want air conditioning services sometime soon, turn to Calverley Service Experts to address your problem quickly. Our technicians can help your air conditioner work as efficiently as possible, ensuring it works together with your ceiling fans to keep your home and family comfortable for less. Call us today to request an appointment with the HVAC pros at Calverley Service Experts.