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Why Use Ceiling Fans?
When rooms are slightly stuffy or have a slight chill, and you are combating rising energy costs, ceiling fans provide the temperature comfort zone you're looking for. Running ceiling fans in the summer can lower room temperatures by 4 degrees. By circulating heat that rises in the winter, ceiling fans can raise room temperatures. An added bonus is that ceiling fans and ceiling fan light kits provide ambience.
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What Ceiling Fans Offer
Ceiling fans are reasonably priced, installation is easy, and operating costs are comparable to the cost of using a 40- to 75-watt light bulb. Installation affects efficiency: there are fans that hug lower ceilings, fans that install on slanted ceilings, and drop fans that extend from higher ceilings. Blade sizes and motor strength vary to accommodate room sizes; blade slant or pitch determines the amount of air circulated. There are ceiling fans with single-globe light fixtures or multiple lights. Use of fluorescent bulbs cuts energy costs.
Winter Use of Ceiling Fans
Rooms have layers of air temperatures; warm air rises toward the ceiling because it is lighter than cool air. By running ceiling fans in a clockwise direction in the winter, warm air is directed downward to circulate through the cooler layers of air, gently warming without creating a chilling breeze, and lowering heating bills by 10 percent. Rarely, a ceiling fan does not have switches to reverse blade direction, so blades can be manually reversed.
Summer Use of Ceiling Fans
Ceiling fans should be run in a counter-clockwise direction in the summer. The circulation of air creates a breeze that makes the room feel cooler without disturbing warm air that resides above, at the ceiling. Ceiling fans continue to cut cooling costs by 30 to 40 percent in the spring and fall, when outside temperatures are comfortable, windows are open, and ceiling fans circulate air.
