If your plan is to stay cool without jacking up your energy bills, you’ll likely depend on your ceiling fan a great deal this summer. A well-known strategy is to run a fan without AC until it gets extremely hot, then flip the fan off and try the air conditioner in its place. This is a mistake! Operating the ceiling fan and air conditioner in unison is the best way to improve comfort and energy savings.
It can feel redundant to try two cooling methods at once, but fans make your air conditioner more productive. Consider these five tips to help you get more from your air conditioning system this summer.
Install a Ceiling Fan
First things first—if you don’t already have ceiling fans all over your home, look into installing some. You should be able to switch out any light fixture in the middle of the room for a silent, effective and stylish ceiling fan.
Remember 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 might not benefit as much.
As you may imagine, larger fans can propel more air than smaller ones. Get a 36- to 44-inch diameter fan for rooms up to 225 square feet and 52-inch fans for larger rooms. You can also set up multiple fans in a line to cool rooms longer than 18 feet.
Determine the Fan’s Direction
Ceiling fans can spin in both directions. Verify yours is ready to spin counterclockwise during the summer. This forces air down to make the breeze feel more prominent.
If you’re unsure whether your fan is spinning the right way, turn it on and stand right under it. If the breeze appears weak for how rapidly the blades are turning, you likely need to switch the direction.
Some fans have a remote control, in particular 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 possess a remote, check the motor housing for a reversing switch.
Ceiling fans can spin in both directions because driving the air upward is useful for cutting down heating expenses in the winter. So when the seasons change, set your fan to spin clockwise and run it on low to disperse warm air toward the ceiling back down to the living space without generating a breeze. This method is very helpful in stairwells and rooms with vaulted ceilings.
Adjust the Thermostat
You need to turn up the thermostat to make the most of energy savings from running a ceiling fan in the summer. Don’t stress over feeling uncomfortable—the “wind chill” effect made by running a ceiling fan makes the room feel about 4 degrees cooler. This strategy, which can make winter weather miserable, is the answer to home comfort and energy savings during the summer.
If you usually keep your house at 75 degrees, try readjusting the thermostat to 77 or 78 degrees to make up for the wind chill effect created by running a ceiling fan. Then, switch up your outfit to boost your comfort level even more. Dressing for the season permits you to enhance comfort while lowering cooling costs.
Shut Off the Fans in Empty Areas
It’s a popular assumption that ceiling fans reduce the temperature in a room. Sure, they make you feel cooler, but all they do is push air around. As a result, there’s never a reason to keep a ceiling fan running in an unused room. Fans may cost pennies on the dollar to use versus AC systems, but every little bit helps, so turn off the fan if you’re the last person to leave the room.
Watch Your Energy Savings Grow
If you adhere to the tips featured above, you should observe a decrease in your air conditioning bills throughout the summer. After all, you can save nearly 3 percent on your cooling costs for every degree you increase the thermostat. And by using the wind chill effect produced by the ceiling fan, you can enjoy savings without losing out on comfort.
Keep Cool with Help from McElroy Service Experts
Clearly, you shouldn’t disregard the impact ceiling fans can have on your home comfort during summer! If you want air conditioning services at any point, choose McElroy Service Experts to fix your problem quickly. Our technicians can help your air conditioner perform as effectively as possible, ensuring it works in tandem 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 McElroy Service Experts.