Ceiling fans are an inexpensive way to boost your efforts to heat and cool your home. Although, ceiling fans use electricity to operate, the amount of money they can save you on heating and air conditioning exceeds the cost of running them.
Because they use relatively little electricity, homeowners who utilize ceiling fans will see significant savings on their utility bills. This is due to a ceiling fan’s ability to enhance your HVAC units efforts to keep the inside of your home at a comfortable temperature. Depending on the season, most homeowners can adjust their thermostat up or down to save money on their energy bill.
How Ceiling Fans Enhance Heating and Cooling
Ceiling fans reduce energy use in two ways. First, they work to equalize the temperature throughout a room by evenly distributing cool or warm air. This means your HVAC won’t have to work as hard to effectively heat or cool your home.
Ceiling Fans and the Wind Chill Effect
The second way ceiling fans help reduce energy use is by means of the wind chill effect. During hot summer months, when your ceiling fan blades are turning in a counterclockwise direction, occupants of the room will feel cooler.
As moisture on the surface of the skin evaporates, the body feels naturally cooler. The slight breeze that a ceiling fan creates speeds up the evaporation process. It is the same reason that we feel much colder on a windy winter day than we do when the air is calm.
Due to this wind chill effect, homeowners who run their ceiling fans in the summer can raise the temperature setting on their thermostats as much as four degrees without feeling a reduction in comfort. Considering homeowners can save 7 to 10 percent on cooling costs for each degree over 78, a ceiling fan offers considerable savings.
Ceiling Fans Aren’t Just for Summer
Running ceiling fans during cooler fall and winter months will help you save money on your heating bills. Fans should be adjusted to rotate clockwise when running your heat. This allows for the cooler air near the floor to be lifted up while any heat that hovers near the ceiling is pushed toward the walls and down where it can warm the occupants of a room.
This circulation of warm air helps enhance your HVAC system’s ability to effectively heat your home’s interior. This allows homeowners to adjust the thermostat setting down as much as four degrees, saving a significant amount on heating costs.
Ceiling Fan Maintenance
Ceiling fans are relatively inexpensive and require very little maintenance. Before turning on your ceiling fans to enhance the efficiency of your HVAC unit, be sure to wipe your fan blades with a damp cloth. This will prevent dust from being blown around the room once you turn them on.
Some ceiling fans may require periodic lubrication of the bearings. Check your ceiling fan’s owner’s manual for instructions and any other maintenance suggestions or requirements.
Energy Star-Rated Ceiling Fans
For even more savings on your utility bill, consider using an Energy Star-rated ceiling fan. Even though ceiling fans consume relatively little electricity, consumers can still save about 50 percent over conventional ceiling fans.
Also, according to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Energy Star-rated ceiling fans move air up to 20 percent more efficiently due to advancement in blade design and motor technology.
For more information about heating and cooling your home more economically, contact your local HVAC experts.