Try These Five Tips for Using Ceiling Fans Along with Your AC 

If your plan is to keep cool without spiking your energy bills, you’ll certainly rely on your ceiling fan all the time this summer. A prevalent strategy is to run a fan without AC until it gets too hot, then shut the fan off and try the air conditioner instead. This is a mistake! Running the ceiling fan and air conditioner simultaneously is a great way to improve comfort and energy savings. 

It can feel excessive to use two cooling methods at the same time, but fans make your air conditioner more efficient. Follow these five tips to help you get the maximum benefit from your AC system this summer. 

Install a Ceiling Fan 

First off—if you don’t already have ceiling fans in your home, think about installing a few. You should have the opportunity to change out any light fixture in the heart of the room for a silent, effective and stylish ceiling fan. 

Bear in mind that ceiling fans function 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 the same amount. 

As you might imagine, bigger fans can propel more air than smaller sized ones. Get a 36- to 44-inch diameter fan for rooms as much as 225 square feet and 52-inch fans for bigger rooms. You can also put in multiple fans in a line to cool rooms longer than 18 feet. 

Check the Fan’s Direction 

Ceiling fans can operate in both directions. Confirm yours is ready to spin counterclockwise during the summer. This drives air down to make the breeze seem more apparent. 

If you’re unsure whether the fan is spinning the right way, turn it on and stand straight underneath it. If the breeze seems low for how quickly the blades are rotating, you potentially need to reverse the direction. 

Some fans have a remote control, especially if they’re mounted on a vaulted ceiling. Search for a button on the remote to reverse the direction. If your fan doesn’t possess a remote, inspect the motor housing for a reversing switch. 

Ceiling fans can turn in both directions because pushing the air upward is useful for reducing heating bills in the winter. So when the seasons change, adjust your fan to rotate clockwise and keep it on low to distribute warm air near the ceiling back to the living space without generating a breeze. This technique is very useful in stairwells and rooms with vaulted ceilings. 

Reset the Thermostat 

You have to turn up the thermostat to fully appreciate energy savings from running a ceiling fan in the summer. Don’t worry about feeling uncomfortable—the “wind chill” effect produced by using a ceiling fan makes the room seem around 4 degrees cooler. This strategy, which can make winter conditions particularly bad, is the answer to home comfort and energy savings during the summer. 

If you typically keep your house around 75 degrees, try adjusting the thermostat to 77 or 78 degrees to cover for the wind chill effect made by using a ceiling fan. Then, adjust your outfit to increase your comfort level even more. Dressing for the season allows you to optimize comfort while minimizing cooling costs

Shut Off the Fans in Empty Areas 

It’s a common assumption that ceiling fans reduce the temperature in a room. Of course, they make you feel cooler, but all they do is shift air around. As a result, there’s never a reason to keep a ceiling fan on in an empty room. Fans may cost pennies on the dollar to run versus AC systems, but every little bit helps, so switch off the fan if you’re the last person to leave the room. 

See Your Energy Savings Grow 

If you use the tips detailed above, you should notice a drop in your air conditioning costs throughout the summer. After all, you can save as much as 3 percent on your cooling costs for every degree you adjust the thermostat. And by using the wind chill effect created by the ceiling fan, you can enjoy savings without sacrificing comfort. 

Keep Cool with Help from Service Experts Heating, Air Conditioning & Plumbing 

Clearly, you shouldn’t undervalue the impact ceiling fans can have on your home comfort this summer! If you want air conditioning services at any point, turn to Service Experts Heating, Air Conditioning & Plumbing to fix your problem quickly. Our technicians can help your air conditioner run as proficiently as possible, ensuring it works along with your ceiling fans to keep your home and family comfortable for less. Call us today to arrange an appointment with the HVAC pros at Service Experts Heating, Air Conditioning & Plumbing. 

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