Does Ceiling Fans Save Energy?

In almost every home, ceiling fans are used because they can make you more comfortable and they add style to the room. To be certain, there are many different options that are available when it comes to choosing a ceiling fan that can make it fit into almost any decor. One of the more common questions is if ceiling fans really make a difference in the amount of energy that we consume. Here is some information which will help answer that question and will help you to make the most of the ceiling fans you have in your home.

First of all, the direct answer to the question if ceiling fan save energy is both yes and no. If they are used properly, you can save money on your monthly energy bill while making yourself more comfortable at the same time. They can also be a drain on energy expenses. That is because the energy savings that is felt when using the ceiling fan is only a direct result of you being in the room. If you continue to run the ceiling fan constantly, even though you're not in the room, it may end up costing you money. In fact, it is estimated that it may cost as much as $10 a month to run a ceiling fan constantly.

In the summertime, ceiling fans can help you to feel more comfortable without having to adjust the temperature to make your air conditioning run more frequently. There is a switch on the side of the ceiling fan that needs to be set in the proper position in order for it to do so. In the summertime, you will want the air to be blowing down from the ceiling fan. This will have the effect of causing evaporation from your skin which will cool your body. It also feels nice to have a breeze blowing across you when you are sitting in a warm room.

In the wintertime, you obviously would not want to have a breeze blowing across to you when it is cold outside. That is when you will want to reverse the switch on the side of the ceiling fan so that the air is blowing upward. Hot air rises, so the more comfortable part of the room is going to be close to the ceiling. Because the ceiling fan is going to be pulling air from lower in the room and blowing up toward the ceiling, it will force the warmer air across the ceiling and down the walls. This will help you to be warmer in the lower half of the room without having the evaporation effect which will negate that benefit.

As you can see, ceiling fans are able to save you money and energy. The real key is making sure that you set them properly so that they are blowing in the right direction. This is something that can be marked on your calendar, perhaps switching them to the summer setting on Memorial Day and to the winter setting on Labor Day. In that way, you will be saving money year-round while using this unique device.