Holding back the Lorain and Oberlin area’s summer heat can really run up your energy bills, so even the little things you can do to increase home efficiency are worth it. A ceiling fan may not seem very powerful, but used right it can noticeably improve your comfort and lower your energy bills.
Save More in Summer
Take a look at your ceiling fan’s motor housing and you’ll find a small switch that changes the direction the fan blades spin. Choosing the right direction is the key to using your fan for energy savings. In warm weather, the blades should spin counterclockwise as you look at them from below.
Moving this direction, the blades push air downwards and create a breeze. As the breeze passes over you, it increases the rate of moisture (sweat) evaporation from your skin. This evaporation is your body’s natural cooling mechanism.
A fan can make you feel between 4 degrees cooler. You can then raise your air conditioner’s thermostat by a similar amount to save energy. For every degree you raise the temperature above 78 degrees, you could reduce your cooling costs by 3 to 6 percent.
A fan makes people feel cooler, but doesn’t lower the air temperature, so conserve energy by turning off your fan when you leave the room.
Stay Cozier in Winter
Warm air from your furnace tends to pool near the ceiling, but a ceiling fan solves this problem by re-distributing your warm air. With more warm air down where you are, you’ll feel warmer without needing to turn up the heat.
When the cold weather arrives, set your fan blades to turn clockwise and run the fan on the lowest speed. Like this, instead of pushing air down, the fan pulls up air from the lower part of the room. The rising air pushes the air near the ceiling out toward the walls and down. As the fan runs, your air continues to circulate this way
For more information on affordable ways to increase home efficiency, contact Energy 1, serving the Lorain area.
Our goal is to help educate our customers in Lorain, Ohio about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). For more information about ceiling fans and other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Resource guide.
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Energy 1 Heating & Air Conditioning
1 (440) 246-5440
Serving the Lorain, OH Area