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

If your goal is to keep cool without spiking your energy bills, you’ll probably rely on your ceiling fan considerably this summer. A prevalent approach is to operate a fan without AC until it gets really hot, then flip the fan off and try the air conditioner instead. This is a mistake! Running the ceiling fan and air conditioner together is a great way to optimize comfort and energy savings. 

It can feel unnecessary to pursue two cooling methods together, but fans make your air conditioner more powerful. Consider these five tips to help you get the maximum benefit from your cooling system this summer. 

Install a Ceiling Fan 

First things first—if you don’t already have ceiling fans throughout your home, consider installing a number of them. You should be able to swap out any light fixture in the heart of the room for a quiet, efficient and eye-catching ceiling fan. 

Keep in mind that ceiling fans run best when the blades sit 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 must be at the least eight-feet high, and rooms with vaulted ceilings might not benefit the way rooms with lower ceilings will. 

As you might imagine, bigger fans can propel more air than smaller ones. Opt for 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 the same area to cool rooms longer than 18 feet. 

Confirm the Fan’s Direction 

Ceiling fans can work in both directions. Confirm yours is set to spin counterclockwise in the summertime. This forces air down to make the breeze appear more apparent. 

If you’re unsure whether your fan is rotating the right way, switch it on and stay exactly beneath it. If the breeze appears low for how quickly the blades are spinning, you probably need to change the direction. 

Some fans have a remote control, usually if they’re installed on a vaulted ceiling. Check for a button on the remote to change the direction. If your fan doesn’t use a remote, feel around the motor housing for a reversing switch. 

Ceiling fans can turn in both directions because moving the air upward is useful for cutting down heating costs 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 generating a breeze. This technique is particularly helpful in stairwells and rooms with vaulted ceilings. 

Adjust the Thermostat 

You have to adjust the thermostat to make the most of energy savings from running a ceiling fan in the summer. Don’t stress over feeling uncomfortable—the “wind chill” effect made by using a ceiling fan makes the room feel up to 4 degrees cooler. This principle, which can make winter cold miserable, is the answer to home comfort and energy savings for the summer. 

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

Shut Off the Fans in Unoccupied Areas 

It’s a common misconception that ceiling fans drop the temperature in the room. Of course, they make you feel cooler, but all they do is push air around. As a result, there’s no reason to keep a ceiling fan on in an empty room. Fans may cost pennies on the dollar to operate as opposed to AC systems, but every little bit counts, so shut off the fan if you’re the last person to leave the room. 

See Your Energy Savings Grow 

If you use the tips featured above, you will notice a decrease in your air conditioning expenses throughout the summer. After all, you can save approximately 3 percent on your cooling costs for each degree you increase the thermostat. And by using the wind chill effect formed by the ceiling fan, you can receive savings without sacrificing comfort. 

Keep Cool with Help from Service Experts Heating & Air Conditioning 

Simply, you shouldn’t overlook the impact ceiling fans can have on your home comfort in summer! If you want air conditioning services sometime soon, choose Service Experts Heating & Air Conditioning to address your problem quickly. Our technicians can help your air conditioner perform as effectively as possible, ensuring it works along with your ceiling fans to keep your home and family comfortable for less. Call us today to request an appointment with the HVAC pros at Service Experts Heating & Air Conditioning.