When summer heat turns up, the least expensive way to cool down your home may be simply turning on a ceiling fan.
“Operating a ceiling fan is very economical,” said DuWayne Dunham, energy counselor at Clark Public Utilities. “At current electric rates, you can operate one ceiling fan six hours a day every day for a month at just 90 cents.”
Ceiling fan electric motors use approximately 100 watts of power when on. A single-room air conditioner guzzles about ten times more electricity. Whole-house air conditioners gobble even more, as much as 5,000 watts, when operating.
To be clear — fans don’t cool air. That’s an energy myth. Instead, they push air around. When a fan blows air on you, your body may feel cooler, but it’s not dropping the inside temperature of your home.
Ceiling fans don’t work the same way air conditioners do. “A ceiling fan is not as effective in hot, sweltering weather, but it’s a good option for moderately hot days,” Dunham said. That’s because the two devices operate on different principles. Air conditioners alter the temperature of air molecules. Conversely, ceiling fans create drafts of air that make you feel cooler than the air around you — as much as several degrees cooler.
To save energy in the summer, you can raise your thermostat and let the fan circulate the inside air. Whether you use an air conditioner or a ceiling fan, turning your thermostat up to 78 degrees can add to the savings.
If you’re in the market for a ceiling fan, Dunham suggests looking for the Energy Star label. Energy Star rated ceiling fans have improved motors and blade designs making some models more efficient than conventional ceiling fans.
While ceiling fans install easily, their performance and energy savings rely on proper installation. If you install one, follow some basic guidelines and you shouldn’t have a problem.
Select and install a UL-listed electrical box designed for ceiling fans. If you are swapping out an existing lighting fixture, replace the metal box.
Fans may weigh up to 50 pounds so you’ll need to anchor it to ceiling joists. When the joist isn’t in the center of the room, you can install a special ceiling fan-mounting bracket spiked at both ends between the joists to support it.
Blade balancing is also important. Make sure you balance them before installing the fan. To check the alignment of the blades, you can use a yardstick. Carefully adjust any blades not in alignment. Check the blades for balance by turning on the fan. If the fan wobbles, you may want a balancing kit available from the manufacturer to help find the problem.
Besides using a ceiling fan, close any drapes, blinds and awnings in the morning to keep out heat, then open them late in the day when it’s cooler.
Editor’s note: This story was updated to clarify the amount of energy used by ceiling fans and energy costs for various technologies.
Energy Adviser is written by Clark Public Utilities. Send questions to ecod@clarkpud.com or to Energy Adviser, c/o Clark Public Utilities, P.O. Box 8900, Vancouver, WA 98668.
