Put your ceiling fan to good use to not only beat uncomfortable temperatures in the summer and winter but to also carve away power costs!
When the temperature in your home gets too warm, we turn to our HVAC systems for much-needed respite! But the comfort is short-lived as energy bills skyrocket each month due to the extended running time of your HVAC systems. If you own a central heating and cooling system, you must be aware of how energy-hungry it can get when in use.
How Can Ceiling Fans Improve The Efficiency Of Your HVAC System?
Since both ceiling fans and your HVAC system consume energy to function, you may wonder how using the two together isn’t counterproductive! It isn’t if ceiling fans are used properly.
Staying comfortable in your home isn’t just about maintaining the right temperature. Your indoor air circulation quality and humidity level also impact the efficiency of your heating and cooling system. Supplementing your HVAC unit with ceiling fans helps in spreading out the cool or hot air evenly across the room, which is also required to maintain optimal humidity levels. This allows your system to do an efficient job and also get frequent and extended shutdown time, resulting in reduced energy consumption.
The Right Fan Choice And Installation Matters
The right fan size and correct placement are crucial to achieving maximum airflow and, in turn, greater energy savings. Consider your room size when choosing a fan for it. A room of up to 225 square feet must have a fan of about 44-inch in diameter. However, for bigger rooms, consider installing multiple fans, each at a distance of about six to ten feet. Always opt for fans having blades of a sharper pitch for they have excellent air circulation capability. When installing your ceiling fans, make sure that the blades are at least nine feet above the floor while maintaining a gap of at least eight inches from the ceiling. In case of taller ceilings, make use of extension rods to ensure that the fan’s blades are at a distance of nine feet from the ground.
Changing Directions To Achieve Desired Effects
Cooling Season – Set your ceiling fan’s blades for counter-clockwise movement. This rotational direction pushes the air down with great velocity. As the cool, fast-moving air brushes against your skin, it creates an improved cooling effect. This means you can set your thermostat to higher degrees and still enjoy a cool and soothing atmosphere. However, remember to close the fans when you leave the room to maximize savings.
Heating Season – In order to improve your home’s heating efficiency, change the movement of your ceiling fan’s blade to clockwise. Since warm air tends to rise up while the cold air settles down, your moving fan helps break this natural phenomenon and circulates hot air evenly across the room. This reduces your dependency on heating systems to maintain comfortably warm temperatures in your home. Now you can set your thermostat by several degrees lower than the usual and enjoy energy savings without compromising with your comfort!
Other Benefits That Come With An Energy-Efficient System
Aside from reduced monthly energy consumption and improved comfort levels, you’ll enjoy more benefits! Having an HVAC system that operates at an optimal energy efficiency level means your unit works less to deliver improved heating and cooling results. This reduces the possibility of your system requiring sudden heavy repairs down the road, thereby increasing the lifespan of the system.
Want to learn more about how you can improve the heating and cooling efficiency of your HVAC system? Or does your current air conditioning system require a professional tune-up service? Mid Atlantic Heating & Cooling is the experienced HVAC repair and maintenance company you should call in Little Egg Harbor Township, New Jersey. Call us to talk to our experts today!
