The Energy Saving Benefits of Ceiling Fans

You may not know it but ceiling fans can provide your home with numerous energy saving benefits. Indeed, most modern ceiling fan products use about as much power as a 100 watt light bulb so they really can save you money on your utility bills, especially when they are used properly in the summer and winter.

We here at The Lighting Superstore are big believers in being energy efficient so we thought we would share some of our suggestions on how best to reap the energy saving benefits which your ceiling fan can provide:

Energy saving benefits during the winter

When it comes to keeping your house warm in the winter, you need to bear in mind that warm air is lighter than cool air. Indeed, whilst there are layers of air with varying degrees of temperature within your rooms, the warmest air will always be near the ceiling. Operating your ceiling fan in a clockwise direction during the winter months will push this warm air up against the ceiling and then gently radiate it down the walls, thereby re-circulating it around the room without causing a chilly breeze. This strategy has been proven to lower domestic heating costs by as much as 10% as it helps to reduce the demands made on central heating systems.

Energy saving benefits during the summer

An effective and reliable ceiling fan can be an absolute Godsend in the summer. Indeed, complimenting your air conditioning with a nice circulatory fan breeze can help you to keep your home feeling cool and fresh. In addition, you will find that your ceiling fan is able to provide enough of a breeze by itself to make moderately warm days comfortable; therefore you can turn your air conditioning unit off altogether and let the fan work its magic. As well as making you feel significantly more refreshed, this can reduce your air conditioning bills by as much as 40%. Operating your ceiling fan in an anti-clockwise direction will help you to achieve the maximum energy saving benefits during the summer.

Installation for optimal efficiency

The best way to reap optimal energy saving benefits is to install several fans in key locations throughout your home. Indeed, it would be quite ideal to install a ceiling fan in each of your main rooms. To achieve optimal performance, the blades of your ceiling fan should be between seven and nine feet above the floor, and roughly 10 - 12 inches below the ceiling. Having the blades too close to the ceiling will stop you from taking advantage of the winter benefits, and reduce your energy efficiency by as much as 40% in the summer time.

So, it is clear to see that using your ceiling fan properly throughout the course of the year can provide your home with significant energy saving benefits.

Browse our pages further to find out more and view our great range of ceiling fans with lights (and without) in more detail.

References:

1. http://www.residential-landscape-lighting-design.com/energy_benefits_ceiling_fans.htm