The Many Benefits of Ceiling Fans
Consider that we use our heating and cooling systems to keep our homes comfortable when the weather outside doesn’t match what we desire indoors, and that many homeowners wisely invest in annual maintenance to make sure they keep running safely and efficiently – but is there more that we can do to help increase comfort levels? Maybe help reduce the bills a little? There sure is!
A great addition to your home that’s worth considering are those ‘Casablanca-style’ ceiling fans, with ‘propeller’ fan blades like an old airplane, that we often see hanging in living rooms and other areas around many Front Range homes. Ceiling fans may not be the most complex of home comfort products, but they can provide considerable benefits that you can take advantage of all year-round. Not merely a fancy light fixture – not to ‘throw shade’ on the quality lighting options offered by these products – ceiling fans can absolutely assist and enhance the performance of your heating and cooling systems, and most importantly, improve your indoor comfort levels.
Year-Round Comfort
Simply put, the blades on a ceiling fan can spin in either direction. Depending on the direction the fan blades are turning, air is either directed downward from the center of the fan or pulled upward toward the center of the fan.
During the summer, your ceiling fan is ‘normally’ operated so that that air is blown downward from the middle of the fan, the blades spinning counterclockwise, creating a comfortable breeze at sitting level which can be felt around much of the room. During wintertime, the fan direction is typically reversed, blades turning clockwise, so that air is pulled upward in the center, the result being that warm air collecting near the ceiling is pushed downward around the perimeter of the room. In this ‘winter mode,’ you are not subjected to a direct breeze from the fan, and floor-level temperatures will be uniformly more comfortable. This is a good starting point for understanding the operation of your ceiling fan or fans.
A Word of Caution About Seasonal Fan Directions
While the above discussion about how to operate your ceiling fan at different times of year applies in many homes, we urge you not to that rule of thumb as gospel for your home. Depending on factors such as the presence of a wood or gas stove or fireplace, an adjacent sunroom, vaulted ceilings, location of sofas and chairs, you may find that more preferable comfort levels may be achieved by running your ceiling fan a little differently, at times. Our recomendation: experiment and see what you prefer!
By operating a ceiling fan in a fashion that best suits your home and your needs, during the heating season you should be able to turn down your thermostat setting a little bit and maintain the same comfort level. And when it’s hot outside – AC season! – you should be able to accomplish a similar feat, adjusting the temperature setting upward a little. Late summer, when the heat is typically not as intense, you may even be able to turn off the AC and achieve your desired comfort level using just ceiling fans. These small changes can yield measurable savings on your electric and gas bills, and those savings will continue to add up, every year! While everyone has their own personal comfort levels and preferences, we’ve found these practices ring true for many homeowners.
Would my home be a good fit for installing new ceiling fans?
Ceiling Fans Are Great For
- Decreasing The Load On Heating & Cooling Systems
- Helping Control Heating & Cooling Bills
- Improving Year-Round Home Comfort Levels
- Decorative Functionality
- Improving Lighting
Great for Every Room
Not only are ceiling fans great for living rooms, great rooms and bedrooms, they can also provide benefit in other areas of your home such as the kitchen and dining areas, the den, and home offices.
Unlike most of the products that we install and service, Save Home Heat Company typically installs owner-supplied ceiling fans. Because there’s such a wide variety of products, features, designs and sizes available, and a plethora of specialty stores, big-box store lighting departments, and online sources, it just doesn’t make sense for us to stock those products or try to compete, price-wise.
In the Denver-Boulder area, our customers are best served by obtaining their ceiling fans from the source of their own choosing and then hiring our skilled electricians to professionally handle the install. Of course, we’re glad to offer an opinion on a product that you’re considering, but we find that most products, these days, do not require this final blessing before you make your purchase.
One important item to keep in mind, just like with furnaces and air conditioners, is that ‘bigger’ is not necessarily better. Make sure you purchase a fan that’s properly sized for the square footage, dimensions, and ceiling height of the room you’re adding-on to. Also, take the time to learn about your fan speed and lighting control options, before making your purchase, so the decision you make will be one that you’re happy with for many years to come.
Let the Experts Help!
In the Boulder-Denver area, if you want to improve the comfort and style in your home with new, specially-selected ceiling fans that you found at the perfect lighting store – or anywhere your search leads you – you can count on Save Home Heat Company to install it for you with great care and attention to detail, and, as with all of our home services, to make sure you’re fully pleased with our work. Please contact our team today and see the difference that our highly customer-focused process will make for you and your home.
Please contact me to schedule a free installation quote or a service visit!
