Why Use a Ceiling Fan to Cool My Home?

Fans Versus Air Conditioning

• During hot weather, the human body needs to dissipate surplus heat in order to be comfortable and healthy. Air conditioners help this process by reducing the temperature of the air around the body. Fans, on the other hand, do not reduce the temperature of the air, but rather move the air over the skin more quickly, causing more heat to be carried away.

Thermostats

• This distinction makes a big difference: Since fans never actually reduce the temperature of the air, they have no effect on how much energy is used by an air conditioner. The air conditioner runs based on the temperature of the air next to the thermostat.

Using Fans Effectively

• Since fans don't reduce the temperature of the room, but merely make higher temperatures more tolerable, proper fan use requires that you adjust your thermostat upward. For example, if you normally have the thermostat on 77, turning on the fans should allow you to increase it to 78 or 79 while maintaining the same level of comfort. This adjustment will allow you to lower your electricity bill without sacrificing comfort.