When it comes to saving money on heating and cooling, it is easy to think it takes a big investment or major lifestyle change to have a significant impact. This is not necessarily the case. There are many small ways to keep your home cooler and save on energy bills — some as simple as adjusting the settings on your ceiling fan.
In a world with central air conditioning and easy digital controls, the humble ceiling fan sometimes get overlooked. Even with modern HVAC technology, a ceiling fan can make a big difference in how you cool your home. What’s more, an improperly used fan can cost you money and even keep you from feeling cool.
Here are a few quick tips from Galmiche & Sons to get you back on track. If you find these tips useful, and want to learn more, give us a call at 314-993-1110 or contact us to schedule heating & air conditioning services today.
Not Changing the Direction of Your Ceiling Fan
Many people may not realize they can adjust the direction settings on a ceiling fan, and simply adjusting the blades can have a significant impact on how cool you feel. On almost every ceiling fan, there is a small directional switch. When it is pointing down, the fan will spin counterclockwise. Switch it up and the blades spin clockwise.
Here is why it matters which way your ceiling fan is facing:
- In the summer, or any time you want to keep cool, you want a fan spinning in the counterclockwise direction. This pushes air down into the room and causes a breeze.
- In the winter on the other hand, setting your ceiling fan to spin clockwise can actually help you stay warm. As long as it is on a low setting, pulling the air in this direction will push out warm air trapped near the ceiling, warming the room and anyone in it.
Using Ceiling Fans to “Cool” Empty Rooms
There is a common misconception about ceiling fans that they work to reduce the temperature of the room they are placed in. This is not actually the case. Rather, fans work by creating a “wind chill” effect on the skin. Just like a summer breeze, the fan creates moving air which helps sweat evaporate more quickly and leaves you feeling cool.
The implication of this is that having a fan on in the next room or when you are not home, isn’t doing anything to keep you cool. If you are not feeling the air directly, the fan isn’t helping. Understanding how ceiling fans and other pieces of your cooling system work can help you save money, but it can also help you keep cool.
Get More Tips for Cooling Your Home
At Galmiche & Sons, not only do we provide top notch heating & cooling services across the St. Louis area, we want to keep our customers informed as well. It is sometimes surprising how much you can save (in both repairs and energy costs) by making a few small adjustments to your heating & air conditioning set-up. From simply changing the direction of your ceiling fans to bigger changes like replacing your air conditioner and components, we are happy to help you find any opportunity to save, so connect with us today!
