Energy efficiency is always an important concern for homeowners, but that is especially true at a time when utility costs are rising rapidly in many parts of the nation. And if climate change ranks highly among your general concerns, then you want your home to be as energy-efficient as possible.
If you are considering adding a ceiling fan to your home, that would be a smart move. Ceiling fans are affordable and can make your home more energy-efficient while making your home cool on hot days. And a ceiling fan with lights truly could brighten your day—or at least the night.
Ceiling Fans Are Very Convenient for Home Cooling
Unless you are extremely tall, odds are you never will come into contact with a ceiling fan unless you intend to touch it. But using one is very simple. You could have the power connected to a switch next to your lights and turn it on and off that way.
A cord enables you to reach up and switch it on and change speeds. Another switch mounted to the ceiling fan or a second lanyard makes it possible to change between clockwise and counter-clockwise rotation. That is all it takes to use a ceiling fan with lights. The addition of a remote control unit could make it even simpler and easier to use.
The fan blades move a lot of air and help to create comfortable breezes inside your home. Those breezes improve air circulation and comfort. They also help to remove smoke and unpleasant odors from your living spaces. So if you burn something while preparing dinner, the ceiling fan could take care of it.
Ceiling fans are very quiet and only produce a very low level of sound when switched to higher RPMs. A ceiling fan that is rotating at a low setting will stay quiet while providing you with highly beneficial air circulation.
Maximizing Ceiling Fan Efficiency for Better Cooling
You cannot simply install a ceiling fan and get the best results from it. It will still help to cool your home, but it will not provide the best results. You need to ensure the fan is mounted properly and used appropriately for the greatest efficiency.
A ceiling fan should be between 7 and 8 feet above the floor. Anything higher than that will reduce the effectiveness of the ceiling fan. The fan blades should match the room space. A small room can benefit from shorter fan blades. But a large room should have blades that are longer to move more air.
It does not matter which direction the fan rotates. What is important is to have it create a downdraft. The downdraft helps to circulate the air better and creates a more balanced atmosphere within the room. A properly positioned ceiling fan can produce the best mix of warm and cool air at all levels within a room.
With a ceiling fan properly placed inside a room, you can turn up the temperature on the air conditioning by about 4 degrees. The U.S. Department of Energy says that will help to keep you cool while reducing energy use in rooms that are unoccupied.
Ceiling Fans Could Help to Reduce Carbon Footprints
The carbon footprint of a home is a big issue with many homeowners. The term “carbon footprint” refers to the amount of carbon produced by daily activities at home. And if you are concerned about climate change, you should be concerned about your carbon footprint.
A ceiling fan rotates either clockwise or counterclockwise. Knowing how to properly use a ceiling fan makes a big difference in comfort and utility costs and helps to reduce your carbon footprint.
During the summertime, you want your ceiling fan to create a downdraft. The downdraft produces a breeze that cools your skin by enabling better evaporation of sweat. That helps you to keep the thermostat at a higher setting and use the air conditioner less.
While the ceiling fan is known for enabling better cooling, it also can make your home warmer in the winter. Heat rises and gets trapped up high. The ceiling fan recirculates the warm air produced by your home’s heating system. The recirculated warm air helps to reduce the heater’s usage and keep your home more comfortable.
Many newer ceiling fan models include a remotely controlled system that enables you to program it and make changes on the fly as needed. A remotely controlled ceiling fan could control the direction, speed, and lighting when included with your fan. And lots of older fans can be upgraded by installing a ceiling fan remote.
And the addition of remote control systems is making the modern ceiling fan better than ever. You do not have to reach overhead or stand on a chair or another object to reach the controls.
You can program your modern ceiling fan and enjoy its benefits for as long as you want the ceiling fan to be on. The modern ceiling fan is a great asset in any home and could make yours more comfortable while lowering utility costs.
Feature image: Erick Palacio; Image 1: Tyrone
