>Ceiling fans can save you as much as 40 percent on your utility bills in summer and as much as 10 percent in winter. How? By conserving energy — but only when certain criteria are met. Your actual bottom-line savings will depend on two important factors:
- Proper fan installation
- Careful, consistent and correct daily fan use
Ensuring Correct Fan Installation
The best way to make sure your ceiling fan is properly installed is to hire an expert to do the job. While it’s possible to self-install your fan and do so correctly, if you are less-than-technically-savvy it would probably be a good idea to leave the job to the professionals. At Byrd Heating and Air Conditioning, our NATE-certified technicians are factory-trained to install high-efficiency ceiling fans and other complex HVAC technologies. We guarantee correct installation and operation of your ceiling fan or other HVAC equipment when it is installed by one of our expert technicians.
Using Your Ceiling Fan Effectively
Savvy users of ceiling fans save energy every day, and the energy they save can add up to considerable monetary savings each and every month of the year. What does savvy ceiling fan use look like? Here are some hallmarks of the wise use of this simple, efficiency-enhancing technology:
- Set your fan properly. Setting your ceiling fan to revolve in the proper direction, depending on the season, will make a difference. It should run clockwise in winter, directing the warm air upward, and counterclockwise in summer, directing cool air downward. Be sure to set the fan on low speed in winter to prevent a draft.
- Turn off your fan when not in use. When no one is in the room or you will be away from home, be sure your fan is turned off. It does no good when no one is there to benefit and will actually consume energy unnecessarily. Ideally, you will combine this step with adjusting your thermostat so your HVAC system will not heat or cool your home while you are away.
- Reset your thermostat. Turn it up several degrees in summer and down several degrees in winter as your ceiling fan enhances the cooling or heating of your living space. This will cause your HVAC system to use less energy, since it will not turn on as often or run as long.
Other Factors that Could Help Enhance Ceiling Fan Efficiency
Aside from the above smart practices, using the following two technologies can help your ceiling fans save energy more consistently:
High-Efficiency Fan
A high-efficiency, ENERGY STAR qualified ceiling fan can make a difference in the amount of savings you’ll realize over the course of the year since these fans are 50 percent more efficient than conventional ceiling fan models.
Programmable Thermostat
When used together, a programmable thermostat and ceiling fans save energy throughout the year. A programmable thermostat will ensure that you don’t forget to turn your HVAC system off before leaving for work and can be set to turn the system on again shortly before you return.
Properly used ceiling fans can help you save energy during the hot summers and cold winters of Savannah GA. And the HVAC experts at Byrd Heating and Air Conditioning can help you make the most efficient use of your combined ceiling fan-HVAC technology.
