There are many things you can do to help your furnace operate more efficiently, including scheduling annual preventive maintenance and changing your air filters regularly. But one of the most effective ways for boosting furnace efficiency is also one of the simplest: turn on those ceiling fans!
How ceiling fans help heat and cool your home
When your ceiling fan runs counterclockwise during the cooling season, it blows cool air on occupants. The movement of the air itself helps evaporate perspiration, which pulls heat from your body. Using your ceiling fan in the summer can make a room feel four degrees cooler, allowing you to turn up your thermostat and save on energy costs while staying comfortable.
In the winter, the direction of the ceiling fan can be reversed to draw air upwards. The heat that settles near the ceiling is displaced and pushed outward, and then down into the room where occupants can feel it. In a home with 16-foot ceilings, the uppermost 3 feet can reach 90 degrees before a thermostat set at 68 degrees shuts off. The ceiling fan will even out the heat in a room, allowing you to turn down your thermostat while staying even warmer.
Tips for installing ceiling fans
- If you’re replacing a light fixture with a ceiling fan, you will need to replace the electrical box that houses the wiring. Use a UL-listed box that’s specifically marked for use with ceiling fans.
- Ceiling fans can weigh up to 50 pounds. Secure the fan to a joist or install a bracket made for hanging ceiling fans between joists.
- Ceiling fan/light combinations that are Energy Star-qualified are more than 50 percent more efficient than non-Energy Star fans and will save you money on energy costs as well as reduce greenhouse gases.
For more advice on boosting furnace efficiency with ceiling fans and other energy-saving tips, please contact us at Ernst Heating & Cooling. We provide quality HVAC services to the Metro-East area.
Our goal is to help educate our customers in Hamel, Illinois and surrounding areas about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). For more information about furnace efficiency and other HVAC topics, visit our blog.Â