Does Running a Ceiling Fan Help Reduce Air Temperature?

How Ceiling Fans Work

• Ceiling fans circulate air but do not reduce room temperatures. One reason why ceiling fans make rooms feel cooler is they create wind chill effects. Wind blowing across your skin makes your perspiration dry at an accelerated speed, cooling you off faster than normal. It is the same effect achieved from a cool breeze on a warm afternoon. According to Hunter-Fan.com, windchill effects can make you feel up to 8 degrees cooler than the actual temperature. Another reason ceiling fans make rooms feel cooler is that they push warm air down from ceilings. forcing it to mingle with cool air lingering on floors, which evens overall temperatures.

Summer Time Tips

• Most ceiling fans need to run counterclockwise to create cool breezes in summer. Read your fan's instructions carefully to be sure. If you don't have an air conditioner, use your ceiling fans in tandem with window fans. Place window fans facing inward during the coolest part of the day to blow cool air in and facing outward during the warmest part of the day to blow warm air out. Leave other windows closed, but internal doors open to create a vacuum effect. Use your ceiling fan to assist circulation of whichever wind direction you choose. If you're still hot, spray cold water on your skin and allow air generated by the fan to dry you off.

Winter Time Tips

• Flip the switch on the base of your ceiling fan to reverse the direction to clockwise in the winter. This will pull up warm air from the floor and distribute it across the ceiling and down the walls, mingling cool air with pockets of warm air. Insulate your foundation, doors and windows to keep cold air from getting in and warm air from seeping out.

Energy Saver

• Your ceiling fan can help you save energy if you use them in tandem with your other heating and cooling appliances. In the summer time, using your ceiling fan means you don't need to run your air conditioner on the highest setting and your house will still feel cool. In the winter time, you can turn your furnace down a few degrees without sacrificing warmth.