Your ceiling fan might be a lifesaver during the long, hot days of summer, but did you know that it can help your home feel warmer in winter as well? Although ceiling fans do not change the temperature of a room, the direction and speed at which the fan rotates can help circulate the cooled or heated air in the room, and in turn help you and your family feel cooler or warmer in your home. Read on to find out more!
HEAT IT UP
Many ceiling fans have a small switch somewhere on the base or rod of the fan. This switch changes the direction that the ceiling fan blades spin, and this small switch can have a big impact on how warm or cool your room feels! During the winter, this switch can be flipped to rotate the fan in a clockwise direction. Because heat rises, the warmest air in the room will be at the ceiling. A ceiling fan rotating clockwise helps pull some of this warmer air down from the ceiling and disperse it more evenly throughout the room, helping the whole room feel warmer on those cold winter days. It is important to run your ceiling fan on a lower speed in the winter—a fan operating at a high speed will create a strong draft in the room and make a cold room feel even colder!
COOL IT OFF
During the warmer months, you should be sure that the switch is flipped so that your fan rotates in a counterclockwise direction. And unlike during the winter, in the summer you should run your fan at a medium or high speed for maximum cooling effect. The higher the speed, the stronger the draft, the cooler you’ll feel!
THE BENEFITS
Using your ceiling fan year-round not only helps you feel more comfortable in your home, it can also help you save on your energy usage (and save a little money!). Running a ceiling fan while in a room helps maintain a comfortable temperature in the room, which may mean that you can set your thermostat to a higher or lower temperature than you otherwise might, depending on the season. This will save some energy, as your heating and air conditioning system will not have to use as much power to warm your home, and you could save on your power bill! However, it is important to remember that ceiling fans do not change the temperature of a room. The circulating air will only make the room feel more comfortable while you are in the room, so if you plan to leave the room for more than a few minutes, be sure to turn off your fans!
When you’re looking for solutions to keep your home comfortable as the season’s change, be sure to contact us at Air Doctor! We can help with all of your heat and air conditioning services and needs.