Understanding Ceiling Fans
CEILING FANS
Ceiling fans can help make your home more comfortable during both summer and winter. Using about the same electricity as a 100-watt light bulb you can run one for just pennies a day. By themselves in mild weather, ceiling fans offer a low-cost alternative to air conditioning. Used in conjunction with air conditioning in hot weather, ceiling fans combine old and new technology to keep your family comfortable. That's why those twirling paddles that date from pre-air conditioning days are experiencing new popularity in today's homes.
How They Work
When it's warm, the blades of a turning ceiling fan normally push air downward, causing cool air near the floor to travel outward and mix with air at the edges of the room. The process makes for more even cooling, and just the air movement in the room alone can make it feel cooler by four degrees or more! That means if you're using air conditioning along with your fan, you can set the thermostat at a higher than normal setting to save on energy.
If you use ceiling fans in the summer, however, keep in mind that it does little good to run them when you're not around. The fan really isn't cooling the room. Like a breeze on a hot summer day, it's the blowing air moving across your body that makes you feel cooler.
The same cooling effect caused by blowing air currents keeps many people from using their ceiling fans in winter. But most fans have a switch on the motor housing that changes the direction in which the blades turn. Instead of forcing air downward, the blades will push air up toward the ceiling, where hot air normally rises, and drive it back down around the edges of the room. That can result in more even heating. And better heat circulation will help to combat the problem of sweating windows that some homes experience in the wintertime because of condensation on the glass.
It's Your Money
Ceiling fans can help solve other cold weather problems as well. For example, some two-story houses have open stairways. Since heat rises, the upstairs can get hot, while the downstairs - where the thermostat normally is - can stay cold. As a result, the furnace can run more often and heating is uneven. But mounting a ceiling fan at the top of the stairway will mix the air more evenly, making the house much more comfortable and cutting down on heating costs.
It's another example of how - in summer and in winter - fans can help you increase the comfort of your home and maybe decrease your monthly winter time energy bills.
Ceiling Fan Primer
The primary function of ceiling fans is to move air so you feel more comfortable (cooler in summer and warmer in winter). All fans move air. How much air is circulated, how efficiently, how quietly, how much will it wobble, and how long the fan lasts are questions wise consumers should ask before selecting a ceiling fan. Higher quality is measured in more than just dollars and cents. At first glance all fans may appear to look alike, they're not! Here are some things to look for and compare before purchasing a ceiling fan:
Why inexpensive fans are noisy fans
Inexpensive fans generally lack proper noise-reducing components such as isolation rings and rubber cushions between metal parts. These special noise silencers help stop the transference of noise through the fan to the ceiling where it is magnified. Inexpensive fans usually do not have these components because they add extra costs to manufacturing. Noise is generated because the fan in general is poorly engineered and manufactured using short-cuts.
Why fans can break down prematurely
For a fan to operate efficiently and effectively, the motor size must be engineered to match the blade pitch and blade length. Inexpensive fans may have inadequately sized motors, which can cause over-heating and motor burn-out. In many instances, lower quality fans may not have enough blade pitch to effectively move air. The greater the blade pitch, the more movement of air... but remember, the greater the pitch, the greater the need for a larger motor!
Why Ceiling Fans?
Aesthetic appearance of quality workmanship, the silent rhythm of motion, and the economic benefits in heating make the ceiling fan one of the world's most useful appliances. It may seem odd to call a ceiling fan an appliance. It doesn't make coffee, sew a dress, or cook. But by definition an appliance is an instrument, apparatus, or device developed for a particular use. The fan fits. The ceiling fan enhances our environment and adds comfort. It meets a need. Many items found in the home can match a ceiling fan's combination of outward beauty, functional effectiveness, and dependability. A quality ceiling fan increases the beauty of any home or apartment. It can also lower heating and cooling bills which makes a ceiling fan an investment that pays for itself. Ceiling fans make air behave, and a properly directed and main air flow can have either a cooling or warming effect. Everyone experienced the cooling effects of a light breeze. As air moves across, it evaporates body moisture, making one feel cooler and more comfortable. With a ceiling fan generating cooling breezes in your home, you can set your air conditioning thermostat at a higher, more economical level. You save money without sacrificing comfort. Ceiling fans are more than a cooling device. It can also more effectively distribute heat throughout your home. Warm air rises, cool air can become trapped near floor level. This accumulation of air layers can be a problem during colder months, in rooms with high or domed ceilings. A ceiling fan breaks up the cool and warm layers, making the overall room temperature uniform. By simply flipping a switch to reverse the fan's normal, warm air is moved across the ceiling and down the walls. This distributes room heat without creating a cooling draft. The result is that warm air is where you need it - at the level you live in, not on the ceiling. So, in winter you can lower your furnace thermostat by several degrees, again saving energy dollars. Ceiling fans can also guarantee proper airflow in solar and other alternative fuel heating environments. The noiseless operation and variable running speeds make ceiling fans an unobtrusive, efficient and beautiful appliance.
