Using your ceiling fan during warm weather is one of the simplest and most affordable ways to defend yourself from the Gretna area’s summer heat. Even on the days you use your air conditioner, the fan is still a valuable asset.
How a Ceiling Fan Saves You
In warm weather, fans cool you by producing a downdraft of air. The draft blows over your skin, increasing the rate of moisture evaporation, which is your body’s main cooling mechanism. This is similar to the wind chill effect that makes you feel colder on windy winter days than on still ones.
A ceiling fan can make you feel around 4 to 6 degrees cooler. That means you can raise your air conditioner thermostat temperature without feeling any less comfortable. Every degree you raise the thermostat above 78 degrees can knock your cooling bill down by around 5 to 8 percent.
While a fan makes you feel cooler, it doesn’t lower the actual air temperature. When you leave the room, turn the fan off to save energy.
Choose the Right Direction
Before you turn a ceiling fan on this spring, make sure the blades are set to spin counterclockwise as seen from below. On the fan’s motor housing, you’ll find a small switch that lets you change the direction of the fan blades.
The direction is adjustable because a fan can be used in both warm and cold weather, depending on the direction of the blades. In colder weather, setting the blades to turn clockwise allows the fan to create an updraft that pushes warm air down from the ceiling where it tends to pool. Because no breeze is created, you’ll end up feeling warmer instead of cooler.
It’s for just that reason you’ll want to make sure the blades of your fan are set to cool you before you start using it to beat the heat.
Learn more about how your ceiling fan works in combination with other cooling solutions from the pros at Bryans United Air Conditioning, or give us a call at 504-208-2071.
Image via Flickr by exfordy