Regardless of where you live in Southern California, fans in your home can help you deal with hot summer temperatures. Moving air feels cooler than stagnant air and in some cases, a fan can actually help remove heat and lower your conditioning bills. An attic fan will blow hot air out of an hot attic, a ceiling fan makes you feel cooler, and a ventilating fan removes heat, odors and humidity.
In the attic
The sun beating on your roof increases the temperature in the attic, but you can stop that heat gain with an attic fan. These pull fresh air inside the attic and blow out the hot air. Some are available that use a solar panel for power, while others plug into a socket. In either case, before using an attic fan, it’s important to seal any air leaks or gaps between the interior’s ceilings and the floor of the attic. If the floor of the attic isn’t tight, running the fan can pull air out of your home through those breaches, and actually raise your cooling bills.
On the ceilings
Many newer homes have been blocked to safely hang ceiling fans. A fan can make a room feel degrees cooler and those with reversing switches distribute heat that has risen to the ceiling back to the level of the room’s occupants in the winter. If your ceilings haven’t been wired and reinforced to handle a fan, you may need an electrician to help you hang the fan. The blades should be positioned from seven to nine feet from the floor for the greatest comfort.
In the kitchen and baths
It’s likely each of these rooms has a fan and during the summer, they do a good job at whisking the hot, humid air from cooking or bathing. They should be used wisely, however, because they also remove conditioned air from your home, as well. Make it a habit to turn them off when you’re done.
If you’d like more information about lowering your cooling costs with fans, contact Around the Clock Heating and Air Conditioning. We’ve provided trusted HVAC services for greater Los Angeles since 1967.
Our goal is to help educate our customers in Los Angeles, North Hollywood and surrounding areas about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). For more information about fans and other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Resource guide.
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