Optimum indoor comfort is all about moving air. Ceiling fans have been doing just that for over 100 years. By the time electricity reached most American homes in the early 20th century, ceiling fans were the first comfort appliances most people installed. Today, we can still benefit from these graceful air-movers that now incorporate energy-saving 21st-century technology.
A Fan for All Seasons
In both summer and winter, ceiling fans benefit your home comfort by assisting your existing cooling and heating system, according to the fan’s directional setting. This results in lower operating costs, but also less wear and tear on expensive air conditioner and furnace components.
Hot Weather
- In summer, a ceiling fan set to counterclockwise or “reverse” rotation assists your air conditioner in creating the sensation of coolness. Exploiting the wind chill effect that makes moving air feel cooler, the downward breeze from a ceiling fan increases the perception of cool comfort on the skin without actually lowering room temperature. This permits a higher A/C thermostat setting with no downside to perceived coolness.
- An 80-degree room may feel as much as 8 degrees cooler from the action of moving air provided by a ceiling fan. Additionally, every degree you can increase the thermostat setting without affecting comfort reduces monthly cooling expenses by up to 3 percent.
Cold Weather
- During winter, the rotation of a ceiling fan is set to the clockwise or “forward” direction. In a home with typical forced-air furnace heating, hot air quickly rises to the ceiling and stratifies, providing diminished warmth to occupants of the room below. Meanwhile, cold air naturally sinks to the lower level of the room, making comfort levels difficult to maintain.
- A ceiling fan rotating clockwise draws cold air up from the floor and pushes it toward the ceiling. This action propels accumulated heat at the ceiling out to the walls, then pushes it down into the living space of the room to augment useable heat for occupants.
Learn more about the all-season benefits of ceiling fans from the home comfort experts at Pruett Air Conditioning, or give us a call today at 478-953-4986 to schedule an appointment for your Warner Robins area home.
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