If used wisely, ceiling fans can help save both energy and money in your Fresno area home. But do you know how to use them properly? For many homeowners, the answer is no. This is why we’ve compiled three key ceiling fan strategies to help you achieve energy savings in your home:
- If fans are enough, switch off your A/C. This may seem obvious, but many homeowners tend to continue running their A/C unit during mild weather, despite the fact that ceiling fans are all they need. The general idea is that the more air that’s circulating throughout your home and blowing on occupants, the cooler they’ll be.
- Set the thermostat higher. If your home is a bit too warm to only use ceiling fans to cool yourself off, set the temperature of your thermostat a little higher. Then, once the air becomes too warm – despite the use of a ceiling fan – your A/C will kick on, but not for as long. By utilizing both the A/C and fans together, you can lower the amount of energy being used throughout the day.
- If a room is empty, turn off the ceiling fan. When it comes to the use of ceiling fans, remember this very simple rule: fans cool people, not rooms. One reason why fans cool us off is because they speed up the evaporation of sweat on our bodies. If there’s no one for the fan to effect in this way, it’s not doing anyone any good. In fact, leaving fans on in empty rooms will cause heat to rise because of the running motor, despite not cooling off anyone.
For more expert advice on the proper use of ceiling fans, or for other home comfort tips and tricks, don’t hesitate to reach out to the professionals at Donald P. Dick Air Conditioning. We’ve been serving the HVAC needs of Fresno and the surrounding area for almost 40 years.
Our goal is to help educate our customers in the greater Fresno, California area 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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