Ceiling fans are all-season money savers.
Ceiling fans were a fixture of pre-air-conditioning life in the early 20th century. The big paddle blades rotating slowly cooled homes, restaurants and hotels. Before "refrigerated air" was feasible in residential applications, a ceiling fan provided comfort by circulating a high volume of air at low velocity. A century later, ceiling fans are more popular than ever and represent the top-selling category of fan in the United States. They not only keep rooms comfortable in summer and winter, they can also save you money on utility costs by increasing the efficiency and effectiveness of your air conditioner and furnace.
A Cool Breeze
The ceiling fan utilizes the same principles as wind chill on a windy winter day. Air moving downward over the skin of occupants in a room evaporates perspiration more rapidly and dissipates body heat, creating a perception of coolness. It's important to note that the room isn't actually any cooler. A thermometer in the room will display the same temperature with the ceiling fan on or off. However, the room simply feels cooler to people inside the room. Today's ceiling fans use energy-efficient low-speed motors and fan blades designed to move the maximum amount of air at minimum electricity consumption. At low speed, a ceiling fan uses less electricity than a 60-watt light bulb, and a standard model can be installed in any room with an 8-foot or higher ceiling.
Fan Yes, Air Conditioning No
During summer, a ceiling fan continuously circulates air from the zone between the fan blades and the ceiling down into the room. On days when the outdoor temperature is not excessive, the use of a ceiling fan may preclude or delay turning on a central air conditioner. This represents an immediate savings. At the average national rate of 12 cents per kilowatt hour, a ceiling fan on high running 12 hours per day uses about 10 cents of electricity, while a typical central air conditioner uses over $5.00 of electricity in a 12-hour day.
Ceiling Fan/Air-Conditioning Combo
But even on days when the air conditioner is required, you can still reap energy savings with a ceiling fan. The added beneficial cooling effect of a ceiling fan in a room allows you to set the air-conditioner thermostat up to four degrees higher without any noticeable decrease in comfort level to the occupants of the room. For every degree you advance the thermostat, you reduce your cooling costs by seven to 10 percent. This translates to an up to 40 percent reduction in air conditioning costs by running a fan that consumes just 10 cents of electricity per 12-hour day.
Winter Warmth From a Ceiling Fan
It might seem counterintuitive, but ceiling fans save money in winter, as well. Hot air emitting from the room vents of a forced-air heating system rises and accumulates at the ceiling. Layers of heated air against the ceiling do not contribute to warming the room at lower levels where occupants reside and the furnace thermostat is mounted. This causes the furnace to run longer to meet thermostat settings. A ceiling fan rotating clockwise in the "Winter" mode pulls air up from below and pushes it out over the ceiling. This disrupts the strata of warm air accumulating at the ceiling, moving it toward surrounding walls that redirect it downward into warm living spaces below. This effect permits your furnace to run fewer "on" cycles and consume less energy, lowering heating costs. It also eliminates acute temperature swings during furnace "off" cycles by keeping rising warm air circulating back down into the room at all times.
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