Can Ceiling Fans Make Your Home More Efficient?

Summers in South Texas can be brutal, and residents are always thinking of quick ways to cool off without breaking the bank. At Blanco AC, Electrical & Plumbing we also know how exhausting the heat can become – especially if the temperature in your home is too warm. A new ceiling fan installation can give your home an extra cooling boost during the next heatwave, without pushing your AC unit (and your bank account) to its limit.

Let’s look at the ways ceiling fans can keep your summer cool and air conditioning costs as low as possible!

Air Circulation Is The Key To Cooling

Ceiling fans create a wind-chill effect to cool your home by moving the air directly below them. This process, also known as evaporative cooling, removes heat from the surface of your skin and scatters it in the air around you. This increases the levels of moisture evaporating from your skin. So ceiling fans make you feel cooler without having to lower the air temperature in your home.

In certain situations, ceiling fans cannot be your only source of cooling power. They are effective at making you feel cooler but do not lower the humidity in your home, which can make you feel hotter. Increasing your skin’s moisture evaporation rate in humidity can result in dehydration.

The CDC recommends using ceiling fans (alone) for home cooling when temperatures are below 95 degrees. Otherwise, they only increase sweat evaporation and hot-air circulation. This can speed up the onset of heat-related illnesses, like heat exhaustion.

When your fan cannot bring in cooler air from outside, use it with your air conditioner to remove moisture from the air. This way it reduces indoor humidity levels and ambient heat. Together they effectively cool larger areas during the hottest times of the year.

Ceiling Fan Energy Use

Ceiling fans can use up to 75% less electricity to operate than a central AC system or window unit. They can supplement cooling in your home during summer without sacrificing energy efficiency.

By making the air in the room feel cooler, you won’t need to turn your thermostat temperature down as far as usual. This keeps your thermostat setting closer to the outdoor temperature. Doing so prevents your unit from straining to run as long as it would otherwise, so it isn’t working as hard. This helps maintain your home’s energy use, without sacrificing indoor cooling effects or your AC unit’s long-term efficiency.

Total Costs

Knowing how fans can control your energy consumption is great, but their operation cost really puts things into perspective.

An air conditioner system that can cool 1200 square feet costs about 20 cents per hour to operate. A window air conditioning unit that can cool 900 square feet can cost over 17 cents per hour to operate. Depending on its size and power level, a ceiling fan can cost less than one cent per hour to operate.

The savings produced by adding ceiling fans in your home, instead of increasing AC use, makes them one of the most energy-efficient ways to lower temperatures indoors, according to the U.S. Department of Energy.

Blanco’s Energy Experts

Adding ceiling fans to your home’s HVAC system is a great way to keep your home cool this summer, without sacrificing energy efficiency or hurting your bank account. Our certified electricians offer a multitude of services to ensure your home is as energy-efficient as possible, including high-quality ceiling fan installation!

Blanco AC, Electrical & Plumbing sets the standard in electrical excellence by providing safe, honest and fair service to the Blanco area, making your family’s peace of mind our top priority. Schedule a visit with us and learn about our 5-year warranties!