If聽the聽idea聽is to聽keep聽cool without聽spiking聽your energy bills, you’ll聽likely聽count聽on your ceiling fan聽considerably聽this summer. A聽prevalent聽strategy聽is to聽operate聽a fan without AC until it gets聽very聽hot, then聽shut聽the fan off and聽try聽the air conditioner聽when you really need it. This is a mistake!聽Operating聽the ceiling fan and air conditioner聽Running聽is聽the optimal聽way to聽maximize聽comfort and energy savings.
It聽can聽appear聽unnecessary聽to聽pursue聽two cooling methods聽at the same time, but fans make your air conditioner more聽effective.聽Use聽these five tips to help you聽get聽the most聽from your聽cooling聽system聽this summer.
Install a Ceiling Fan
First—if you don’t already have ceiling fans聽all over聽your home,聽look into聽installing聽some. You should聽be able聽to聽swap聽out any light fixture in the聽middle聽of the room for a聽quiet,聽reliable聽and聽stylish聽ceiling fan.
Remember聽that ceiling fans聽run聽best when the blades聽rest聽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聽have to聽be聽a minimum of聽eight-feet high, and rooms with vaulted ceilings聽may聽not benefit聽the way rooms with lower ceilings will.
As you聽may聽imagine,聽longer聽fans can聽move聽more air than聽smaller聽ones.聽Go for聽a 36- to 44-inch diameter fan for rooms聽approximately聽225 square feet and 52-inch fans for聽bigger聽rooms. You can also聽install聽multiple fans in聽a line聽to cool rooms longer than 18 feet.
Check聽the Fan’s Direction
Ceiling fans can聽move聽in both directions.聽Ensure聽yours is聽adjusted聽to spin counterclockwise聽during summer. This聽forces聽air聽down聽to make the breeze聽seem聽more prominent.
If you’re聽unsure聽whether聽the聽fan is聽turning聽the right way,聽turn聽it on and聽stand聽directly聽underneath聽it. If the breeze聽appears聽inadequate聽for how聽rapidly聽the blades are聽turning, you聽likely聽need to聽reverse聽the direction.
Some fans have a remote control,聽especially聽if they’re聽mounted聽on a vaulted ceiling.聽Search聽for a button on the remote to聽reverse聽the direction. If your fan doesn’t聽possess聽a remote,聽check聽the motor housing for a reversing switch.
Ceiling fans can聽rotate聽in both directions聽because聽driving聽the air upward is useful for聽reducing聽heating聽bills聽in the winter. So when the seasons change,聽adjust聽your fan to聽rotate聽clockwise and聽use聽it on low to聽disperse聽warm air聽close to聽the ceiling back聽down to聽the聽living space聽without聽generating聽a breeze. This聽technique聽is聽particularly聽helpful聽in stairwells and rooms with vaulted ceilings.
Turn Up聽the Thermostat
You聽must聽change聽the thermostat to聽enjoy聽energy savings from聽using聽a ceiling fan in the summer. Don’t聽worry about聽feeling uncomfortable—the “wind chill” effect聽created聽by聽using聽a ceiling fan makes the room聽seem聽up to聽4 degrees cooler. This聽approach, which can make winter聽weather聽particularly bad, is the聽answer聽to home comfort and energy savings聽during聽the summer.
If you聽usually聽keep your house聽around聽75 degrees,聽think about聽readjusting聽the thermostat to 77 or 78 degrees to聽make up聽for the wind chill effect聽created聽by聽using聽a ceiling fan. Then,聽modify聽your outfit to聽improve聽your comfort level even more. Dressing for the season聽permits聽you to聽maximize聽comfort while聽reducing聽cooling costs.
Shut聽Off the Fans in聽Unoccupied聽Areas
It’s a聽widespread聽belief聽that ceiling fans聽lower聽the temperature in聽a聽room.聽Sure, they make you feel cooler, but all they do is聽shift聽air around. As a result, there’s聽not a good聽reason to keep a ceiling fan聽running聽in an聽empty聽room. Fans聽may聽cost pennies on the dollar to聽run聽as opposed to聽AC systems, but every little bit聽helps, so聽switch聽off the fan if you’re the last person to leave the room.
Watch聽Your Energy Savings Grow
If you聽stick to聽the tips聽listed聽above, you聽could聽observe聽a聽drop聽in your air conditioning聽bills聽for the rest of the summer. After all, you can save聽nearly聽3 percent on your cooling costs for聽every聽degree you聽raise聽the thermostat. And by聽appreciating聽the wind chill effect聽created聽by the ceiling fan, you can聽receive聽savings without聽sacrificing聽comfort.
Keep Cool with Help from 黑料社区
Simply, you shouldn’t聽overlook聽the impact ceiling fans can have on your home comfort聽in聽summer! If you聽want聽air conditioning services聽at any time,聽look to聽黑料社区 to聽resolve聽your problem聽promptly. Our technicians can help your air conditioner聽run聽as聽proficiently聽as possible, ensuring it works聽together聽with your ceiling fans to keep your home and family comfortable for less.聽Call us聽today to聽request聽an appointment with the聽HVAC聽pros at 黑料社区.
