How Ceiling Fans Can Keep You Cool AND Save Energy
Would you rather save money on your energy bills or stay cool on a hot day? Luckily, you don’t have to choose one or the other! You can keep cool this spring and summer while also saving money by simply installing and utilizing your ceiling fans.
How They Work Sitting underneath a ceiling fan can keep you cool when it’s hot out, but did you know the temperature of the room actually doesn’t change? What you’re feeling is called a wind-chill effect, which mimics a cooling sensation. If you’re solely relying on all of your ceiling fans to keep your home cool, then you’re just wasting energy.
Use Them in Combination While ceiling fans can’t create cool air, they sure can circulate it evenly throughout the house! The air conditioner in your home costs roughly 35 cents per hour to operate, compared to a ceiling fan which costs one cent per hour. If you were to slightly increase the temperature of your thermostat in combination with ceiling fans, you’d be able to spread the cool air more efficiently. Thus, saving you a large chunk on your energy bills without sacrificing comfort.
Best Practices
- Only turn on ceiling fans when you’re home and using those specific rooms of the house.
- Make sure the fan blades are rotating counter-clockwise. This means the air will be blowing downward towards you. (Set the blades clockwise during the winter.)
- Ceiling fans will allow you to raise your home thermostat by at least 5 degrees. However, you can go higher as long as you’re comfortable.
Ceiling fans are the unsung hero of energy savings and should be given more credit than they receive. If you’re interested in installing more ceiling fans throughout your home or you need an HVAC system tune-up for spring, contact Lancaster Plumbing, Heating, Cooling & Electrical. To learn more or to schedule an appointment, give us call at (717) 207-8198.
