Ceiling fans can do an outstanding job of helping to cool your home in the summer. There is a vast selection of fans to choose from and which will fit perfectly into the rooms if you know some facts about how they fit properly. Following are some helpful tips that you can keep in mind.
Fan Size vs Home Size
You have to consider airflow and cubic feet per minute, which is determined by the size of the space and how hard the ceiling fan has to work to move the air. The blade length has to be at least 18 to 24 inches away from the wall to give the blades the needed room to work. An indoor ceiling fan needs to be hung higher than seven feet above the floor, so you will need a ceiling that is at least eight feet high. If the fixture has a metal motor, you will need an extra two feet of buffer space.
Placement
Operational ideas to circulate the air include the U.S. Department of Energy’s advice to operate the fans on the upper level of a multi-level home and opening the windows on the lower level. In a one-story home, close any windows close to the fan, and instead open windows in rooms far away, preferably on the windward side.
Air Movement
Moving air helps evaporate sweat from skin and is an incredibly efficient way to remove heat, increase the cooling effect, and let your body do it all by itself. Control of the fan can be from pull chains, which are the most effective for low-ceiling fans, or wall switches, or a remote to turn the fans on and off without having to get up.
Thermostat Coordination
If you also have to use air conditioning because you are in a very hot climate, you can cut back on the cost of your power bills, according to the U.S. Department of Energy, by raising the thermostat setting to 78 degrees Fahrenheit when at home and at a higher temperature when you are gone. If you have programmable thermostats, they can be placed on a set schedule that will adjust the temperature for chosen hours every day, and you won’t have to worry about forgetting and leaving the air conditioner running on high and running up your electric bill.
There are a lot of ways to cut back on heating costs in your home, but keeping the air circulating covers a great deal of it. It doesn’t take a major home rework to install a ceiling fan, and a few well-placed fans in your home can get you a great deal closer to your home energy conservation goals.