Ceiling Fans Can Be a Great Way to Reduce A/C Usage and Save

With South Florida’s often steamy weather, having an efficient air conditioning system is certainly a priority for homeowners. But an air conditioner can certainly benefit from the boost it gets from ceiling fans in your home.

While any fan will provide a cooling wind-chill effect for anyone in the path of the moving air, ceiling fans are also effective because they circulate the already cooled air through an entire room.

In addition to providing better air circulation, ceiling fans can help your air conditioner operate more efficiently, saving you energy and utility costs. Here are a few of the added benefits of having ceiling fans installed throughout your home.

• The cooling effect of ceiling fans allow you to raise your air conditioning setting about four degrees higher with no reduction in comfort.
• Setting it to run counterclockwise will aim cooler air downward into the room. This is the default setting more most ceiling fans.
• On mild days, your ceiling fan can make your rooms feel cooler without using your air conditioner.
• Cheaper does not mean better. A more expensive unit will not only be quieter, it will offer you more trouble-free use. Check the noise ratings of each ceiling fan model or listen to a unit in operation before buying one.
• Ceiling fans should be turned off in unoccupied rooms since the cooling effect is only of value when somebody’s in the room to feel it.

Ceiling fans work best when the blades are from 7 to 10 feet above the floor and from 10 to 12 inches below the ceiling. A fan with 36- to 44-inch blades will easily service a room up to about 15-foot x 15-foot feet in size. In longer rooms, of more than 18 feet, dual ceiling fans would work best to make an occupied room feel cool.

For more expert information on installing and using ceiling fans in your home, please contact NisAir Air Conditioning & Heating. We’ve served Martin, Palm Beach, St. Lucie and Indian River counties since 1973.