Can Ceiling Fans Reduce AC Costs?


Higher utility bills are always an issue especially during the summer which makes one think if the use of a ceiling fan can reduce the cost of AC. The air conditioner is considered one of the most energy-hungry appliances that take about 25% of the home energy consumption. To lessen your bill, you might think of using ceiling fans. But do they really help lower the air conditioning costs? Let us find out the answer below.

Can ceiling fans reduce AC costs? When properly used, ceiling fans can reduce AC costs. This is because they allow you to set the thermostat higher. As a result, the breeze will increase the evaporation of moisture from the skin which makes people feel cooler and more comfortable. The fan might only allow small adjustments to the thermostat, but the energy savings can still be significant.  

How do ceiling fans reduce air conditioning costs? Are ceiling fans low-cost? How to use ceiling fans with an air conditioner? Is running a fan all night expensive? These are some of the questions that we will discuss. Check out the rest of the article below for more tips and information about the topic.

Can ceiling fans reduce AC costs
Image by Quique from Pixabay

Do Ceiling Fans Reduce Air Conditioning Cost?

When used with an air conditioner, ceiling fans can help reduce air conditioning costs while increasing comfort. If the ceiling fan and AC are both operating, you can be able to increase the thermostat up to four degrees while still maintaining a comfortable temperature.

How Ceiling Fans Can Reduce Your Air Conditioning Costs

Ceiling fans can reduce air conditioning costs through convection, evaporation, and providing moving air that feels cooler. During the summer, extreme heat places a strain on the AC units. A lot of homeowners are concerned about their energy costs and are looking for ways to lower them. Below are some tips on how to use ceiling fans to reduce air conditioning costs in your home.

By Moving Air

One way that a ceiling fan can reduce air conditioning costs is by moving air. Moving air feels cooler and it can make everyone feel comfortable even during the summer months. You can have your AC unit on a timer and once the timer goes off, use a ceiling fan to move the cool air around the room.

By Convection

This happens when the air around your body is cooler as compared to your body temperature. To be able to cool itself, your body passes heat to the air. Because of this, the air around your body can become too warm that it cannot be able to cool you off. Using a ceiling fan will effectively move the warm air away from your skin and replace it with cooler air.

By Evaporation

Heat is needed so that water turns to a gaseous form. When sweat evaporates from the skin, it pulls heat from the body and cools it down. The ceiling fan moves air which increases evaporation. You will start to feel cooler as more water evaporates from your skin. Take note that using a ceiling fan will not actually lower the temperature, but it will help you feel cool without having to lower the thermostat setting. As a result, you can be able to save money on AC costs.

Are Ceiling Fans Low-Cost?

Ceiling fans are low-cost as compared to AC units. Take note that the average cost of using a ceiling fan is about one cent per hour. This is considerably lower than the cost of using an AC. On the other hand, ceiling fans will not be able to actually cool a room. Rather, they can create a wind-chill effect which makes the room feel cooler. Furthermore, ceiling fans also lower the humidity levels. It can be able to make the room feel cool and comfortable without lowering the temperature.

How Much Money Can You Save When You Use a Ceiling Fan?

The amount of money that you can save when you use a ceiling fan will have to depend on various factors which include the size of your home, climate, heating and cooling systems, and the electricity cost. Take note that using a ceiling fan when less as compared to using a central AC unit cost. When you use a ceiling fan and raising the thermostat level, you can be able to reduce electricity costs.

Do Ceiling Fans Reduce the Temperature in a Room?

A ceiling fan cannot reduce the temperature of a room. What it does is create gentle air movement which makes the room feel cooler and more comfortable. Meaning, a ceiling fan provides no benefit when used in an unoccupied room. Furthermore, make sure to install the fan in an area where you can regularly feel its breeze. If you install the fan in a very high ceiling, or in a part of the room that is unused, it will not be able to produce cool air. You can also check out this article that we have shared titled, are high ceilings harder to heat? We have shared an in-depth discussion about the topic.

How Does Ceiling Fans Help the AC Unit?

Ceiling fans circulate the air in the room so that the AC unit does not have to run longer and achieve the room temperature that you need. When the air circulates, it also prevents hot air from accumulating at the ceiling. Take note that there are ceiling fans that feature a switch so that you can change the direction in which it turns.

✅ Video – How to Use Ceiling Fans With Air Conditioning: Ceiling Fan Maintenance

Ehowathomechannel shared the video below on YouTube. It discusses how to use ceiling fans with air conditioning. How to maintain a ceiling fan is also discussed. Check out the video for more tips and ideas.

Should You Run Ceiling Fans with Air Conditioner?

It is ideal that you run the ceiling fan and AC together. This will help lessen the AC cost. Nowadays, more people are using ceiling fans as an accompaniment to the AC unit rather than an alternative. When you run a ceiling fan and an AC together, it can increase comfort and save energy. You can also read this article that we have written that discusses if ceiling fans work with vaulted ceilings. We have shared an in-depth discussion about the topic.

How to Use a Ceiling Fan with an Air Conditioner

There are a few tips that you need to follow when using a ceiling fan and air conditioner together. This includes spinning the fan in the right direction and turning up the thermostat level. Using the AC and ceiling fan together can save money, but only when you do it properly. Below are tips that you follow when using a ceiling fan with an air conditioner.

Tip #1: Spinning the Fan in the Right Direction

Make sure that you spin the ceiling fan in the right direction. It does not have to be clockwise or counterclockwise spinning. The important thing is that the ceiling fan should push the air from the ceiling to the ground. Stand directly under the fan and check if you feel a breeze. If there is no breeze, you need to turn off the fan and flip the switch so that it spins in another direction.

Tip #2: Turn Up the Thermostat Level

Make sure that you turn the thermostat level up. This is because when you only turn on the ceiling fan, more energy will be used. Make sure that you turn up the thermostat from two to three degrees. It will not heat up the room because the breeze created by the fan will keep the room cool. According to the U.S Department of Energy, using an AC and a ceiling fan will allow you to raise the thermostat setting while still feeling comfortable and cool.

Tip #3: Turn Off the Fan if the Room is Not in Use

Take note that ceiling fans will not actually lower the temperature in your home. However, they make the air feel cooler. If you leave the fan in an unoccupied room, it will just hike up your energy cost.

Is It More Expensive to Run a Ceiling Fan or Air Conditioner?

It is more expensive to run an air conditioner than a ceiling fan. The good thing is that you can use a ceiling fan with the air conditioner so that you can save on your AC cost. This is because the ceiling fans push cooler air down from the ceiling and move it all throughout the room. You can raise the thermostat on your AC unit without heating up the room if you turn on the ceiling fan.

Is Running a Fan All Night Expensive?

Running a fan all night is not as expensive as compared to running an AC unit. Generally, fans do not consume a lot of energy. Fans are energy efficient because they use less than a third of the energy that is usually consumed by AC. We have also shared this article that discusses how to circulate air in vaulted ceilings. Check out the article for an in-depth discussion about the topic.

Are Expensive Ceiling Fans Worth It?

An expensive ceiling fan can be worth it or not depending on the use that you can get from it. A fan that has a large motor can provide more air movement and offer cooler temperatures which can be worth the money that you have spent. On the other hand, an expensive fan that is not properly installed or used incorrectly will not be worth it. We have also shared this article titled, does dust affect a fan? You can check out the article for more tips and information.

Conclusion

In this article, we have discussed if ceiling fans can reduce AC costs. We have found out that using ceiling fans together with air conditioning can lessen your energy bill. During the summer, an energy savings plan is important to reduce cooling costs. Fortunately, you can do simple strategies which make big difference in your monthly energy bills like running an AC and ceiling fan together. Thank you for reading!

Recent Posts