One of the great things about living in Sacramento is the warm weather. Of course, when it gets a little too warm it’s nice to be able to relax in the cool comfort of your air conditioned home. Unfortunately, when those warmer days start to add up, so do your energy bills. One way to reduce energy use is to install ceiling fans.

Using ceiling fans when the air conditioner is running can help reduce energy use by creating a wind-chill effect.  As conditioned air is circulated through a room, it draws heat and moisture from your skin: You feel cooler, and you can often turn up the thermostat a few degrees. Of course, on milder days you may be able to turn off your cooling system altogether and only use the ceiling fans. Just remember to turn the fan off when you leave the room, as it will not provide any cooling benefit if the room is empty.

Some factors to consider before you buy new ceiling fans:

• Your ceilings should be at least 8 feet high.
• You should position the blades 7 to 9 feet from the floor, and 10 to 12 inches from the ceiling.
• Make sure the blades are at least 8 inches from the ceiling and 18 inches from any walls.
• The diameter of the blades matters. Any rooms larger than 225 square feet should have a fan with a diameter of at least 52 inches.
• For large rooms (longer than 18 feet), multiple fans will work best.
• Larger fan blades will produce a comparable cooling effect at lower speeds; lower fan speeds consume less energy and create less air disturbance.
• If noise is a consideration for you, be sure to check the noise rating before you buy any new ceiling fans.

The professionals at All Year Heating, Air Conditioning and Solar would be happy to help you find ways to reduce your energy use while maintaining ideal home comfort. Give us a call, drop us a note or stop by to speak with our experts.

Our goal is to help educate our customers about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems).  For more information about ceiling fans and other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Resource guide.

All Year services the Greater Sacramento area.  Visit our website to see our special offers to get started today!

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