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You’re probably well aware of how useful ceiling fans are in summertime, but many homeowners are surprised to learn that they can be just as effective in winter. Ceiling fans can help you feel warmer, and may actually reduce your heating costs.
Summer vs. winter
- In summertime, ceiling fans should rotate counterclockwise. This creates a wind chill effect that doesn’t actually change the temperature in your house, but does help you feel considerably cooler without using your air conditioner.
- In winter, you can reverse the spin of your ceiling fan to have the opposite effect. Running a ceiling fan in a clockwise direction (be sure to use the slowest speed setting) creating a gentle updraft, which helps move warm air near your ceiling down into your living space. As in summer, the fan doesn’t actually change the temperature, but does make you feel warmer.
Energy savings
Using your fan in winter helps reduce your energy bills because it allows you to set your thermostat a few degrees lower without sacrificing comfort. The fan itself uses a fairly negligible amount of electricity (the average ceiling fan uses no more energy than a light bulb) so the savings can really add up over the course of the winter.
Usage tips and considerations
- A ceiling fan is only effective in the room it’s located in; it doesn’t effect your whole house. Since it doesn’t actually raise the temperature, but only allows you to feel warmer, there’s no reason to leave ceiling fans running in an unoccupied room.
- Generally, ceiling fans work best in winter at a low setting. The exception to this is in a room with a very high ceiling, in which case you might have to set your fan to medium.
Fans with longer blades are better suited to larger rooms, and they work more effectively at a slower speed than smaller fans.If you’d like to learn more about how you can benefit from a ceiling fan year round, contact Acosta Heating, Cooling & Electrical. We’ve been providing expert service in the Charlotte area since 1972.
