Large ceiling fans help keep living areas cool.
A combination of air conditioning and ceiling fans can keep you cool all summer without costing you a fortune in energy bills. In fact, a 2010 article published in the Bismarck Tribune rates energy savings near 15 percent for households that turn their thermostats up just 2 degrees Fahrenheit and rely on ceiling fans instead. By knowing when and supplement your air conditioning with ceiling fans, you'll be well on your way to saving a bundle on your energy bills.
Instructions
1. Purchase the right fan for the room. The ceiling fan's make and model will depend highly on the room you intend to put it in. A large great room can easily accommodate a 60-inch fan, while a 36-inch fan will suffice for a small bedroom. For home offices and other rooms with stacks of loose paper, go for a fan with larger blades. These will create the same cooling effect on a lower setting, so you won't have to worry about papers getting blown around. Be sure to note the angle of the ceiling fan's blades. Blades with an angle of less than 12 degrees produce little breeze and waste energy without helping cool the room. Blades of more than 16 degrees tend to create an unpleasantly strong breeze. Choose an angle between these numbers to suit your specific needs.
2. Check the direction the fan is rotating. During the summer, your fans blades should turn counterclockwise. When standing directly below the fan, you should feel a downward breeze. If you find that your fan is turning the wrong way, flip the switch at the base of the fan to change directions. Not only will the downward breeze create a cooling effect, it will help evenly distribute the cool air coming from the vents.
3. Raise your thermostat. A ceiling fan won't save you a cent if you don't raise your home's thermostat. While ceiling fans don't change the temperature of the room, the breeze they create causes the room to feel about 4 degrees cooler. As a result, you should be able to comfortably raise your thermostat at least 4 degrees.
4. Turn off the fan when you leave the room. Unlike air conditioning, fans cool a room almost instantly, so there's no need to leave the fan on while you're out of the room. Turn the ceiling fan off every time you leave, just like you would the lights.
5. Run instead of air conditioning in the spring and fall. When the weather isn't hot, there's a good chance that some strategically placed ceiling fans are all you need. Turn off the air conditioning and enjoy the gentle breeze of the fan until the weather gets more extreme.
Tags: ceiling fans, ceiling fans instead, cool room, cooling effect, downward breeze, energy bills