You should be using ceiling fans to enhance heating just as much as you use them to provide a cooling breeze. Fans are very efficient and can help you lower your energy costs all year, but only if you use them correctly.Here are some tips for using ceiling fans to enhance heating:
Change the blade direction. In the winter, heat rises to the ceiling and sits there, leaving the living space below cold. You need to find the switch on your fan motor and flip it so that the blades will rotate clockwise. This will blow air up toward the ceiling and out to the exterior walls so the heat near your ceiling circulates around the room.
Use a low speed setting. You are simply trying to circulate the heat that is already in the room. Low speeds are better for balancing the airflow evenly without the cooling breeze that high speeds provide.
Turn them off when the room is empty. It is important to remember that fans distribute heat throughout your living space; they don't actually change the temperature or create heat. If you run them when nobody is in the room you are doing nothing more than wasting energy.
Set your thermostat accordingly. If you are warm, don't turn the fan off. Instead, lower the temperature on your thermostat a few degrees because your heating system takes much more energy to operate than your ceiling fans.
Check the balance and size. If your fans are knocking or clicking when they rotate, you need to add fan weights or tighten the blades to keep the fan balanced. Also, make sure the blades are large enough for the space. 48 inches or less is usually sufficient for smaller bedrooms, while 48-60 inches are needed for large spaces.
If you want more information about using ceiling fans to maximize savings and comfort, contact Air Assurance. With over 25 years of service in Broken Arrow and the surrounding areas, we can help you with everything from sizing and installing new fans to programming your thermostat for increased efficiency during the winter.
Our goal is to help educate our customers in the Tulsa and Broken Arrow, Oklahoma area about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). Image courtesy of Shutterstock