Ceiling and portable fans cool you, not the room, so do not run them when you are not there. A ceiling fan will not lower temperature of a room nor will it remove humidity. However, you can save energy and money by using them and turning off the air conditioning or by turning up the temperature of the air conditioner a few degrees and letting the fan do the rest.
Keep in mind that an important part of the air conditioning process is removing the humidity in the air. If you cool the room air without removing the humidity, the room will feel damp and uncomfortable. To get the most out of your unit, first use the air conditioner to lower the humidity level in the room and then use the ceiling fan. You will be much more comfortable.
I have read that a ceiling fan can make you feel 3 to 8 degrees cooler, allowing you to dial your air conditioner to a higher temperature and still feel just as cool. From personal experience, I know I can raise my thermostat about 5 degrees when I turn on mine.
The one down side to this is that your air conditioner cools many rooms and the unit is only affecting one room. The result is that if you raise your thermostat 5 degrees when you are using the unit, the other rooms in your home will be uncomfortably warm. Fortunately, there are two solutions to this dilemma.
First, reverse your thinking. Rather than purchase a unit to lower your cooling bill, install a ceiling fan in that problem room in your home, that for some reason never seems to cool down. It can make that room more comfortable and livable.The second reason to purchase one, and by far the most popular, is for sleeping comfort. Many people prefer sleeping with a calm breeze blowing across the bed as they sleep.
Promotional ads for ceiling fans jn the Oakland County, Michigan area tell us that in the winter a ceiling fan can pull down the warm air that collects at the ceiling level. This is suppose to increase the efficiency of your heating system. Technically this is only partially true.
Ceiling fans can circulate the air in the room so that hot air does not collect at the ceiling, but I have never seen any studies about that process increasing the efficiency of the heating system. The fact is, I live and work in Southeast Michigan and I do not know anyone who runs their ceiling fan in the winter. Understand the furnace in your home is designed to run at a very low blower speed during the heating season. The reason for this is because air movement during the winter months feels cold and drafty to most people.
Purchasing a Ceiling Fan
Not all fans are created equal! What I have learned from my handyman service is that when it comes to ceiling fans you usually get what you paid for.
For example, noise levels can vary greatly between fans. The better the quality of the unit, the quieter it is likely to be. Often times, it is a personal decision about whether the motor hum of the fan will keep you awake or irritate you if you are playing cards with your friends, reading a good book, or listening to music.
A second frustrating characteristic about a ceiling fan is that many of them start to wobble. The wobble is there because the blades are not well balanced. Blades are sorted at the factory and matched up according to weight. The better the fan the more closely matched are its blades. The closer they match the less chance there is to wobble.
Installing a Ceiling Fan
When I replace a ceiling mounted light with a ceiling fan the first thing I do is to make sure the electrical box is ceiling fan rated. You may not know that NOT all electrical boxes are designed to support the weight of a ceiling fan.
If one of my clients has an electrical box that is loose or only fastened on one side to a wood joist or rafter, I always tell them it needs to be replaced with a fan rated box for safety.
Replacing the electrical box is relatively simple.
First, the electrical power should already be turned off when you removed the original ceiling light.
Now you can pry the box loose from the wood with a hammer and pry bar.
Loosen the wire and pull it out of the box..A fan rated electrical box will have a safety bar that runs from joist to joist.
Place the safety bar into the ceiling space through the existing hole.
Follow the instructions to tighten the bar in place. Once the bar is in place, be sure to secure the new box to the safety bar. Enjoy your fan.
I invite you to find out more information about ceiling fans and tips for keeping your home and business in great shape. Rocco Ciaramella is an is an experienced, licensed and insured handyman who provides services to clients in Oakland County, Michigan. Visit his website at http://handymanoaklandmi.com.
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