Looking for an energy-saving strategy that can be used for both heating and cooling? Consider installing ceiling fans. While most people would frown at the notion of using a ceiling fan in the winter, it’s a little-known fact that fans can do a lot to help heat homes during the cold months.
Most homeowners understand the benefits of ceiling fans during the warmer months. During the spring and summer, the blades of the fan turn counterclockwise, pushing air downward. The breeze created by the fan doesn’t cool the room. Instead, it cools those in the room using the wind-chill effect, making it feel up to four degrees cooler and allowing you to raise your thermostat four degrees to save energy.
Fans can be just as helpful during the cold months too. By simply flipping the switch on the fan’s motor housing, homeowners can change the direction to clockwise, which will pull air upward, helping to circulate the furnace’s warm conditioned air throughout the room. This extra circulation will not only help the room feel warmer, but it will also help prevent sweating windows that result from condensation on the glass.
Those with two-story homes should consider installing a ceiling fan at the top of open stairways. Since heat naturally rises, fans can help spread the warmth from the upstairs to lower rooms downstairs.
Along with making your interior more comfortable, fans can help reduce energy bills, since they only use a paltry amount of electricity — about the same amount used with a 100-watt light bulb. A fan is a simple installation and a modest investment in your home. Think about getting one installed before winter arrives, because it pays to have your house ready for the harsh months before they arrive.
For more information about how ceiling fans can make an impact in your home, contact the experts at Paschal Heat, Air & Geothermal. We’ve proudly served northwest Arkansas for more than 40 years.
Our goal is to help educate our customers in Northwest Arkansas about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). For more information about ceiling fans and other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Resource guide.
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