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Trying to stay cool as temperatures continue to rise outside can be pretty difficult. Keeping the blazing heat out of your home is impossible, which means that you need to find a way to cool down your home. Choosing between a ceiling fan and an air conditioning system is never easy. Each option offers their own unique benefits. It is often a matter of preference and the amount of energy savings that you are looking to achieve. In many cases, it can be beneficial to use an air conditioner and ceiling fan in combination to help keep your home cool and comfortable, but also save on energy costs.
Here is some information about ceiling fans and air conditioners that you may find useful:
How Much Electricity Does AC Require?
It is important to note that air conditioning often uses more electricity than anything else in your home. An air conditioner can often account for over 16% of your total electricity usage all on its own. This means that running your air conditioner at full blast throughout the summer might keep you cool, but it will raise your energy bills significantly. Use this calculator to find out how much your AC unit costs.
How Does an Air Conditioner Work?
The reason that an air conditioner uses so much electricity can be seen in how it functions. In order for an air conditioner to work properly and cool down your home, there are a few components that are most integral in the process. These parts of your air conditioner that matter most include a compressor, condenser and an evaporator. In the condenser, the heat is removed from the refrigerant and it is turned into a high pressured liquid.
This results in a refrigerant that is extremely cold and the air from inside your home is drawn, which allows the heat to be removed as the fan circulates the cooler air. The process of the refrigerant moving through the components continues as it re-enters the compressor again. The entire process does not stop until the thermostat on the unit registers a specified temperature. An air conditioner can be sued to effectively cool down large areas of space, but a large amount of electricity is required.
If you are looking for an alternative way to cool your home that does not require the use of so much energy, you can use a ceiling fan.
Hunter 53091 Builder Deluxe 5-Blade Single Light Ceiling Fan
What is a Ceiling Fan?
A ceiling fan can be installed in your home on your ceiling and can help to cool your home. A ceiling fan circulates air throughout your home in a unique way. If you want your ceiling fan to work effectively in cooling any room, there are a few things that you should focus on. You need your ceiling fan to always be blowing in the down direction. This means that the air being circulated should be sent past your body. This direction of the air flow will help to keep the hot air from surrounding you and will enable you to feel cooler instantly. Unlike with the use of an air conditioner, you do not have to wait long periods of time to feel cooler. Once you turn on your ceiling fan you will experience immediate relief.
A ceiling fan can not cool the room temperature unlimited but will circulate the air in the room and therefore cools down the air in the room. Using a ceiling fan can be experienced as a significant drop of temperature since its gives a very natural harbor breeze. This feels for many people as the best type of cooling and certainly the most energy efficient.
Westinghouse 7861400 Industrial 56-Inch Three-Blade Ceiling Fan
How Big of an Energy Hog is an Air Conditioner?
The only way to describe an air conditioner in relation to how much energy it requires is to label it an energy hog. A typical window unit air conditioner has the potential to use up to 1400 watts of electricity. However, a ceiling fan uses the same amount as a light bulb and uses no more than 100 watts. This means that using a ceiling fan instead of an air conditioner can allow for huge energy savings.
Using in Combination
Choosing between a ceiling fan and an air conditioner to cool your home is not always easy. It can sometimes be beneficial to use both in combination. This will allow you to keep your home very cool and still help you save on energy bills. Simply turn your air conditioner thermostat temperature up a degree or two and only run it for short periods of time. Allow for your ceiling fans to do most of the hard duty cooling work in your home. Use your AC to get the temperature lower and then use only your ceiling fans to keep your home comfortable.
Which is Best?
A ceiling fan can help you cool your home to about 8 degrees lower, which is ideal for most summer days. Although an air conditioner can come in handy on the few scorching times throughout the summer, a ceiling fan is the more affordable way to keep your home cool and comfortable during summer. The final decision between a ceiling fan or an air condition is a personal choice based on your preference.