Spring is here and it’s time to start planning ahead! We know that summer is right around the corner and at the rate things are moving, it’ll be here before we know it! So, in light of this news, we need to start planning how much electricity we’re going to be using.
Electricity is the most important energy source in the summer because it’s what our air conditioners and other appliances use. Sure, some homeowners might have gas appliances like stovetops, but those use a fraction of the energy that an HVAC system does.
This blog post is dedicated to one appliance in particular that we know will be able to help you lower your energy bills this summer, and that’s a ceiling fan. Down below, we’ve input some reasons why a ceiling fan is such a good investment. All you need to do is call our professional electricians in Slidell, LA for support!
How a Ceiling Fan Works
A ceiling fan works in the summertime by circulating air throughout your home to create a breeze. If you’ve ever enjoyed a windy day during the summer, it’s the same concept. Wind, or air in motion, helps to evaporate moisture and dry things off, which has the effect of cooling the air too.
This cooling effect won’t be more than a few degrees, but sometimes that’s all you need to feel comfortable in your home. And, to make things even better, an air conditioner working together with a ceiling fan will drop the temperature to a comfortable place without putting too much strain on the AC, your energy grid, or your home.
This System Works in the Wintertime Too!
Ceiling fans can also run in reverse, which helps to create a convection current in the wintertime! Convection currents, just like the one you might have in your oven, are great at circulating heat and allowing all corners of your room to feel the warm temperatures produced by your heater.
Heat rises, and without a ceiling fan, the heat that’s created by your furnace or heat pump might just rise to the top of the room and stay there. With a ceiling fan running in reverse, it will push the heat down so that you can feel it! This is a great added benefit of a ceiling fan being installed in a home.
The High Efficiency of a Ceiling Fan
Ceiling fans are also incredibly efficient. They’re more effective than box fans but they run at a similar price point, only consuming pennies on the dollar of electricity per usage. The truth is that circulating fan blades and pushing air don’t take a lot of energy. Fans cost a tiny fraction of the cost that your air conditioner costs and this is where we can get into some helpful strategies.
Try running a ceiling fan with your air conditioner in the summer. This should allow you to put the temperature up a few degrees on your thermostat to alleviate the burden placed on your air conditioner. The lowest amount of stress on your AC, mixed with the comfortable temperatures of an operating ceiling fan, should save you a consistent amount of money every month on your energy bill. Isn’t that neat?