During milder weather, like spring and fall, ceiling fans are a low cost option to cool the air. In summer, many people only use their ceiling fans at night or for a quick cool down, but they can also be used to save you money on your utility bills.
Make sure your ceiling fan is spinning in the right direction.
During the summer your fan should be set to spin in a counter clockwise direction. This forces the air straight down. When standing directly underneath the fan, you should be able to feel a cool breeze.
How does using a ceiling fan save you money?
Your ceiling fan creates a wind chill effect that can make a room feel up to 4 degrees cooler than it actually is. That means that you can raise your thermostat about 4 degrees and not have to sacrifice your comfort!
How much energy can you save by using your ceiling fan?
The average ceiling fan uses about 60 watts of electricity while your air conditioner or heat pump can use around 5,000 watts of electricity. So even if you can reduce some of the strain on your air conditioner, it can save you money. For every degree you raise your thermostat, you can save about 1% off your cooling costs.
Too much can be a bad thing!
Its important to remember that ceiling fans don’t actually lower the temperature in your home. They only make you FEEL cooler. Therefore, you should turn off the fan when you are leaving a room to avoid wasting energy.
Ceiling fans can also be used in winter to lower heating costs.
Reverse the direction of your ceiling fan in the fall to a clockwise direction to save money on your heating bills.
If you have more questions about how you can save energy on cooling costs, give Davis Heating and AC a call. Our factory trained HVAC technicians and installers are here for you!