In general, people tend to think about air conditioners as a way to keep a home cool and heating units as a way to keep it warm. There’s nothing wrong with this line of thinking, of course. If you’re only relying on heaters and air conditioners to maintain the temperature, though, then you may be spending way more than you need to keep your home comfortable.
One key part of controlling your home’s heating and cooling costs that
you might be ignoring is the humble ceiling fan. By using ceiling fans
effectively, you can keep your home at more consistent temperatures throughout
the year while spending a lot less on heating and cooling. If you like the
thought of staying comfortable while spending less, here’s what you need to
know about using your ceiling fans effectively.
Ceiling Fans Save Money
Modern ceiling fans are incredibly energy efficient, giving you a way to
keep air circulating in your home without breaking the bank. In fact, the
average cost of running a ceiling fan comes out to around only one cent per
hour; compare this to 36 cents per hour or more to run an air conditioner, and
you can see how big of a potential difference a ceiling fan can make. That’s
not to say that you’ll be using a ceiling fan instead of an air conditioner,
but using a fan in conjunction with air conditioning helps to create a windchill
effect within your home that lets you set the thermostat a few degrees higher
while maintaining the same comfort level in the home. This results in less
overall time with the air conditioner on and lower overall spending on cooling.
A similar effect can be had during the winter. Heat rises, meaning that
you’re spending a lot of money on heating in order to essentially heat your
rooms from the top down. Having your ceiling fan going keeps the air
circulating, preventing the warmest air from staying near the ceiling and
making it easier to maintain comfortable temperatures without having to run the
heat excessively. This can actually result in a more enjoyable heat as well,
since the circulating air will help you avoid cool pockets and drafts near the floor.
Proper Fan Usage
If you’re using
ceiling fans in your rooms throughout the year, it’s important to make sure
that the fans are placed properly. Ideally you should have fans placed near the
center of the room they’re installed in, hanging around 7 to 9 feet from the
floor with around a foot clearance between the fan and the ceiling. Large fans
are best so long as they work with your room layout and don’t interrupt your
décor; as they have larger blades, they can move more air at once even when
running at lower speeds and will save you more money than smaller fans.
During the summertime,
you should have your ceiling fans spinning in a counterclockwise direction to
create the desired windchill effect to keep things cool. When possible, you
should also close curtains and blinds to prevent sunlight from heating up the
air as well. Once temperatures start to drop and you turn on the heat, flip the
switch on your ceiling fan so that it starts spinning clockwise to circulate
the air without the windchill. Open up the blinds and curtains as well, letting
in that free heat from the winter sun.
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