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

If the intent is to stay cool without spiking your energy bills, you’ll certainly depend on your ceiling fan considerably this summer. A prevalent approach is to use a fan without AC until it gets excessively hot, then flip the fan off and run the air conditioner in its place. This is a mistake! Running the ceiling fan and air conditioner in unison is the optimal way to optimize comfort and energy savings. 

It can feel redundant to pursue two cooling methods at once, but fans make your air conditioner more powerful. Use these five tips to help you get the most from your AC system this summer. 

Install a Ceiling Fan 

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

Don’t forget 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 as much. 

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

Determine the Fan’s Direction 

Ceiling fans can spin in both directions. Make sure yours is adjusted to spin counterclockwise during the summer. This drives air down to make the breeze appear more obvious. 

If you’re uncertain whether your fan is spinning the right way, switch it on and sit exactly under it. If the breeze appears weak for how rapidly the blades are turning, you potentially need to switch the direction. 

Some fans have a remote control, usually if they’re mounted on a vaulted ceiling. Look for a button on the remote to switch the direction. If your fan doesn’t use a remote, check the motor housing for a reversing switch. 

Ceiling fans can spin in both directions because driving the air upward is useful for cutting down heating expenses in the winter. So when the seasons change, flip your fan to turn clockwise and keep it on low to distribute warm air near the ceiling back toward the living space without creating a breeze. This approach is especially beneficial in stairwells and rooms with vaulted ceilings. 

Reset the Thermostat 

You should turn up the thermostat to enjoy energy savings from running a ceiling fan in the summer. Don’t concern yourself with feeling uncomfortable—the “wind chill” effect made by using a ceiling fan makes the room feel around 4 degrees cooler. This approach, which can make winter weather particularly bad, is the key to home comfort and energy savings during the summer. 

If you ordinarily keep your house at 75 degrees, consider setting the thermostat to 77 or 78 degrees to make up for the wind chill effect produced by using a ceiling fan. Then, change your outfit to enhance your comfort level even more. Dressing for the season enables you to optimize comfort while reducing cooling costs

Turn Off the Fans in Empty Areas 

It’s a common belief that ceiling fans lower the temperature in a room. Yes, they make you feel cooler, but all they do is move air around. As a result, there’s no reason to keep a ceiling fan running in an empty room. Fans might cost pennies on the dollar to operate as opposed to air conditioners, but every little bit helps, so switch off the fan if you’re the last person to leave the room. 

Watch Your Energy Savings Grow 

If you follow the tips listed above, you should notice a drop in your air conditioning bills throughout the summer. After all, you can save as much as 3 percent on your cooling costs for every degree you increase the thermostat. And by using the wind chill effect formed by the ceiling fan, you can receive savings without giving up comfort. 

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

Truly, you shouldn’t undervalue the impact ceiling fans can have on your home comfort this summer! If you need air conditioning services sometime soon, turn to Service Experts Heating, Air Conditioning & Plumbing to solve your problem fast. Our technicians can help your air conditioner perform as efficiently as possible, ensuring it works in tandem with your ceiling fans to keep your home and family comfortable for less. Call us today to schedule an appointment with the HVAC pros at Service Experts Heating, Air Conditioning & Plumbing.