How Ceiling Fans Help Save On Energy Costs
When it gets hot, keeping cool becomes a priority. While ceiling fans can help keep the air in a room circulating, air conditioners blast cold air into a space. Each cooling device has its own benefits, as well as its own costs. With energy bills being a major factor when determining just how cool to keep your home, many people want to know the most cost-effective solution is for lowering temperatures and making the summertime bearable.
So what will use up more energy, ceiling fans or air conditioning units? While the answer to this question may be a simple one, there are still a slew of other factors to consider when deciding whether or not to plug in the AC or flip on the fan.
Do Ceiling Fans Use Less Energy Than Air Conditioning?
When it comes down to it, ceiling fans do generally save consumers money when compared to air conditioning units. Typical ceiling fans do not, in fact, consume much energy at all. Most ceiling fans use between 55 to 100 watts to run for three hours, with the average ceiling fan uses 75 watts. Air conditioners, however, use a significantly larger amount of energy. Approximately 3,500 watts are used for a three-hour timespan. During the warmer months, the typical air conditioner will use between 3,000 and 5,000 watts of power for nine hours of usage.
Long story short, there’s no getting around the fact that ceiling fans use significantly less energy than air conditioners. As a result of this, running an air conditioner will end up costing you quite a bit more on your monthly electric bill than if you're using a ceiling fan alone.
What Are the Pros and Cons of Using an Air Conditioner?
While using an air conditioner may end up costing you more than a ceiling fan, there are some huge benefits that come with using an AC unit. Generally speaking, air conditioners are much better at cooling down a room’s temperature than fans. This is because air conditioners actually push out cooled air, rather than just circulating the warm air that is already in the room. This can be imperative when it comes to things like preventing dehydration and heat strokes.
In addition to providing a cooler environment, air conditioners can also significantly improve the quality of the air. Air conditioners do this by filtering out tiny pieces of debris, such as pollen, dust, and other allergens that are floating around in the environment. Furthermore, by cooling a room, air conditioners also help reduce humidity, leading to less cases of mildew and mold growth. Because of their ability to help filter and disinfect the air, air conditioners are useful in preventing asthma attacks and other allergic reactions.
As far as cons go, air conditioners aren’t perfect. Along with costing more to run, air conditioners can also cause skin dryness. Too much time spent in an air-conditioned space will cause skin to become sensitive and dry, and it can also make skin lose its moisture, drying out the mucous membrane.
Air conditioners can also cause respiratory problems. This can be the result of too sudden a change in temperature. Respiratory tract infections can also become a problem if the air conditioner isn’t cleaned frequently enough, leading to a backup of dust and bacteria in the AC’s air filters.
What Are the Pros and Cons of Using a Ceiling Fan?
Along with significantly saving you money, ceiling fans can help make a room feel breezy, which can be nice if you’re not in dire need of cool air. Ceiling fans also often improve the decor of a room, adding a nice aesthetic touch.
One of the biggest benefits of using a ceiling fan is that it can help reduce the number of bugs in the area. This is why there are outdoor ceiling fans as well is indoor ceiling fans. Additionally, because of their placement on the ceiling, they are much harder to reach, making them a safer option for families with small children and pets.
Ceiling fans can also be used with a battery pack in the case of a power outage, and they can come in a wide range of models and designs when compared to other cooling devices, including air conditioners.
As far as negatives go, ceiling fans are difficult to clean and can be quite noisy, preventing you from getting a good night’s rest if you’re a light sleeper. Ceiling fans also present a danger to taller people, as depending on the ceiling height, they can become an obstacle in navigating the room.
Should You Get a Ceiling Fan or an Air Conditioner?
There’s no right answer when it comes to deciding between a ceiling fan and an air conditioner. In fact, you do not even need to choose between the two if you don’t want to. Air conditioners and ceiling fans can be used in conjunction with each other to create a cool, breezy space no matter how hot it is outside.
Resources— SFGate, Energy Use Calculator, Berkeys, Atomberg Technologies, Home Thangs
About The Author
