In most homes, heating and cooling are responsible for a large proportion of the consumed energy bills. In these trying times, many people are looking for ways to curtail their spending without making too many compromises on home comfort. If this sounds like your current situation, you’re in luck. In this article, we will look at how you can use ceiling fans with your AC system to boost performance and save money at the same time.
Why Use Ceiling Fans with AC Systems?
Many of us have ceiling fans, but they don’t get much use throughout the year. We tend to rely on our HVAC systems for heating and cooling our homes. But, ceiling fans are cheaper to run, they are less complex to use, they are less prone to failure and they are an excellent way to move air around a room. So, rather than reaching for the thermostat to alter the temperature, you can make a room feel cooler or warmer by distributing the treated air with a ceiling fan. Let’s take a look at six ceiling fan tips to help you combine these two technologies well:
1. Consider a Ceiling Fan Installation
Some of the techniques that we will cover in this article are replicable to some extent with a floor mounted or box fan. But, ceiling fans have significant advantages because they are tucked out of the way and they can move air off the ceiling.
If you don’t have any ceiling fans, it’s a good idea to consider installing a few in the rooms you use most. Ceiling fans can be installed as a replacement for aging light fixtures. They work best when they are positioned 10” to 12” from the ceiling, at least 18” away from walls, and around 7-9 feet above the floor. So, if you have rooms with vaulted or low ceilings you’re not going to get much out of a ceiling fan. Larger ceiling fans move more air, for homes up to 225 square feet install a 36” or 44” diameter fan. For larger rooms, it’s a better idea to install 52” fans and if the room is longer than 18 feet you will need more than one fan.
2. The Fan Direction is Important
The best ceiling fans can run in a clockwise and counterclockwise direction. This is useful because you can use the fan to gently push warmer air up to the ceiling in summer and vice versa in winter. In summer set the ceiling fan to spin in a counterclockwise direction to make the breeze more direct and effective. To verify the direction, turn on the fan and stand directly below it. If the downward breeze feels weak in relation to the blade rotation speed, you should reverse the direction.
3. Use a Remote Control Unit
The best ceiling fans have a remote control unit with a dedicated button to change the fan rotation direction. This is useful if you’re not sure about the fan direction and it’s more convenient to make changes without trying to physically reach the fan.
4. Don’t Use Fans in Empty Rooms
Using an AC system in unoccupied rooms can make sense if you’re trying to save money on energy bills. The system won’t need to work as hard to try and cool the home which reduces the stress on the equipment and the amount of energy used. But, a ceiling fan only distributes the treated air more efficiently, and in real terms, it doesn’t reduce the temperature. So, the only reason to run a ceiling fan is to make a person in that space feel cooler and save a little money by using less energy. If the room is unoccupied there is no reason to run a fan and it should be turned off.
5. Make Thermostat Adjustments
Making thermostat adjustments that take into account the use of a ceiling fan is the best way to optimize performance and energy efficiency. When a fan turns it creates a “wind chill effect” that makes the air temperature feel around 4º cooler than it really is.
This same concept can be experienced outdoors in the winter months. When the wind speed is higher, the weather feels much colder and yet the temperature has not changed. To put this into some perspective, let’s imagine a scenario where the home is kept at 75ºF. In this case, a thermostat adjustment to 78ºF or even 79ºF should compensate for the wind chill effect generated by the fan. Some experimentation will be necessary to find the sweet spot, but using a ceiling fan in conjunction with an AC system in this way is effective.
6. Hydrate and Dress Appropriately
This tip is equally applicable to people that are not using ceiling fans too. Try to dress indoors with layers to wick the sweat and heat away from your body. Natural fabrics such as linen and cotton are an ideal choice to maximize comfort. It’s also important to stay hydrated to keep your core body temperature cool throughout the day. At night, sip room temperature water, open the windows to let fresh air in, and don’t run the AC in rooms with open windows. If this is not possible, consider adding or using a pre-existing ceiling fan in the bedroom at night to save money on cooling as you sleep.
In Conclusion
As you can see, it is possible to make the indoor temperatures more comfortable without breaking the bank if you use ceiling fans. It’s also important to get the AC system regularly serviced to ensure that it’s working at optimal efficiency. Ideally, this should be scheduled a few weeks or a month before the cooling season begins. This will reduce the chance that the system will fail when you least expect it. Well maintained equipment runs better, it consumes more energy and any potential issues can be fixed at an earlier stage.
If you want to learn more about efficient cooling for your home, contact your local heating and cooling specialist today.