Your Air Conditioner And Ceiling Fans: How They Work Better Together

There are many things you can do to lower your home’s energy usage and save money on your utility bills. Some things, like getting new HVAC equipment, can require a real investment in order to see a return, while other simple actions don’t cost a cent.

That is the case for many Indiana homeowners when it comes to taking advantage of the energy savings afforded by ceiling fans.

When used in conjunction with your air conditioner, ceiling fans can lower your electricity bills this summer while still keeping

you cool and comfortable. Here’s how:

• You are probably familiar with wind chill, especially when it comes to winter weather. Wind does not actually change the temperature of the air, but it makes any particular temperature feel cooler than it actually is.
• Since ceiling fans create a wind indoors, they also create a wind chill. The size of the wind chill effect is partly dependent on the real temperature; the cooler the air, the bigger impact a breeze will make on how you feel. So, whereas a ceiling fan in a hot house without air conditioning would create very little wind chill effect, a fan that is blowing cooler air-conditioned air will make the house feel about four degrees cooler than what is set on the thermostat.
• Therefore, if you turn on a ceiling fan, you can turn the thermostat up by four degrees but not feel any warmer. Raising your thermostat during the summer significantly reduces how much electricity your air conditioner consumes.
• Since the wind chill effect is instantaneous, there is no need to turn on a ceiling fan until you enter the room (and you can turn it off when you leave the room). That means you only have to power one fan at a time, and only do so when you are at home. Since a ceiling fan uses much less electricity than an air conditioner regardless, your net energy savings can really add up.