You’re losing money if you’re not using your ceiling fans during the winter. Too many homeowners in cold-winter climates like Ohio simply turn the fans off and forget about them until April or May. That’s unfortunate because you can lower your energy use without sacrificing comfort if you know how to use your fans.
Try these tips and tricks for operating your ceilings fans in the winter:
- Flip the switch. There’s a small switch on most fans that will change them to clockwise rotation. This will blow air up toward the ceiling where warm air collects. That air will be displaced and circulated back down into the room where people can feel it.
- Run it at a low speed. You want to circulate the warm air around the room without creating a cooling breeze, so use a lower speed.
- Turn them off when you leave. Fans don’t actually produce heat; they only distribute it. If you’re not in the room, your fan is consuming energy without any benefit.
- Size your blades correctly. Small bedrooms typically need 44″-48″ blades while larger living areas need 48″-60″ models. If your fan is too small or too large for the space, the air will not be distributed evenly, which defeats the purpose. Also, make sure the fan is 7-8 feet above the floor. If the ceiling is higher, use an extending rod.
- Add more fans. It’s a good idea to have one in every room to keep air distribution balanced throughout your home. Also, consider adding fans above stairs or other areas with high vaulted ceilings where heat can become trapped.
- Adjust your thermostat. Remember that fans use much less energy than your heater. If you’re warm, don’t turn the fan off; lower the thermostat so you can save even more.
- Don’t forget. When the weather starts warming up in the spring, remember to turn the fan direction back to counter-clockwise.
To make sure you’re using your ceiling fans correctly, contact Ace Hardware Home Services, serving the Dayton area since 1978.
Our goal is to help educate our customers in Dayton, Ohio about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). For more information about ceiling fans and other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Resource guide at “https://detmersons.com/free-home-comfort-solutions-guide/”.
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