You have a good air conditioning system in place in your home to keep you and yours cool in the summer, you spent good money to have it installed and maintaining it isn’t free either. With all of this in mind, why should you even consider incurring extra expense by installing ceiling fans as well, even if it’s only one or two?
Benefits of A/C and Ceiling Fans
There are in fact a number of good reasons you should consider pairing an air conditioning system with ceiling fans. These include all the following:
Energy Savings
In our area, not every summer day is really hot enough to justify blasting the A/C all day. On those slightly cooler days, a combination of open windows and ceiling fans can provide a nice cooling breeze on their own.
Even on hot, sticky days a ceiling fan can be a big help. Using an A/C system in conjunction with strategically placed ceiling fans will allow to set your thermostat 4-5 degrees higher, and still enjoy a comfortably cool home. And you’ll be surprised by just how much that can save you on your electric bills.
Aesthetics
Put simply, ceiling fans are often a great visual addition to the overall decor scheme of a room. From the traditional to the very modern to those cute novelty fans designed to brighten up a child’s room, you can find a ceiling fan to suit every taste and most of them are relatively inexpensive as well.
All Year Use
Your air conditioning system is only useful in the warm summer months, but ceiling fans can boast year-round function. In the winter, when the heat is cranked up, ceiling fans offer the same beneficial air movement as they do when moving cooled air around, resulting once again in some decent potential energy savings.
Choosing the Right Ceiling Fan
Obviously, one of the big considerations when you are shopping for a ceiling fan – or ceiling fans – is its aesthetic appearance. Price may be an important consideration as well. But there are practical and safety issues that need to be kept in mind too.
One of the most important is the length of the downrod, which affects both the efficiency of the fan and the safety of those underneath it. The following chart offers a good rough guide for what’s ideal. By following these recommendations, you will get both the best air distribution and even the tallest person should not have to worry about bumping their head into the fan!
In addition, make sure that you read the specs on the box carefully BEFORE you buy and don’t be afraid to ask for help and advice from shop personnel if anything is at all unclear.
Installing a Ceiling Fan
If you are intending to install a ceiling fan via an existing light fixture – which makes sense for a lot of people – then doing so is feasibly a relatively straightforward DIY job. You do need to make certain of two important things though; that the location can stand the weight of the fan and that the electric supply to the chosen socket is adequate. If you are in any doubt about installing the ceiling fan yourself – or if new wiring is required – call in a pro, the charge probably won’t be that high as it is a quick job for them and you’ll likely make your money back easily thanks to the savings on your electricity bill.
Finally, make plans to install your ceiling fan(s) well ahead of the summer cooling season, remember to make a call to get your conditioners serviced and then when the temperatures do begin to rise all you’ll have to do is a flip a few switches to cool things off beautifully.
If you have any questions about our range of services, please do not hesitate to contact us on 816-436-1000 or email us: service@arcticairkc.com. One of our friendly and knowledgeable staff members will be happy to assist you in any way they can and answer all your queries.