spending money to save money on heating the homespending money to save money on heating the home


About Me

spending money to save money on heating the home

How old is your home heating system? How much are your heating bills each winter? Did you know that your heating bill could be much higher than it needs to be if your heating system is outdated or not well maintained? To find out what it could cost to update your heating system and lower the cost of heating your home for next winter, take a moment to visit my website. I have learned this past winter just how much money can be saved by spending money on an updated heating system. Find out how much I have saved this year and what changes I made to achieve the savings.

Ceiling Fans: The Key To Summertime Comfort

Did you know that your home's ceiling fan can play a big role in keeping it cool and comfortable this summer? In addition to making you feel cooler, ceiling fans can also ease the financial burden of cooling your home.

Putting Wind Chill to Good Use

Ever wipe your skin with a damp cloth and then expose it to a gentle breeze? Then you've noticed that your skin feels cooler as the breeze passes over it. This is a phenomenon known as the "wind chill effect" and it works by combining two effective ways of removing heat – water and wind.

As you perspire, the moisture your skin emits also absorbs part of your body heat. When a light breeze hits your skin, it evaporates the moisture while carrying away the latent heat within. As a result, you'll feel cooler in spite of the actual temperature in a given space.

You can use your ceiling fan to take advantage of the wind chill effect by creating a constant breeze throughout the room it's located in. With a constant breeze, you and your occupants will feel several degrees cooler than you normally would otherwise.

What Does This Have to Do with Your Air Conditioner?

As it turns out, ceiling fans could be the key to more efficient and cost-effective home cooling. Since you'll feel cooler, you won't need as much air conditioning to achieve the same level of comfort if you weren't using your ceiling fans. That means you can raise your thermostat to slightly warmer temperatures without any loss in overall comfort.

In addition to increasing your own comfort, ceiling fans can also help reduce your energy bills. By setting your thermostat 4 degrees above normal when using your ceiling fans, the average home can save anywhere from 4 to 8 percent on cooling costs.

Keep in mind that the ceiling fan doesn't cool the room itself. Instead, it uses the wind chill factor to make occupants feel cooler. When there's no one around to enjoy this cooling effect, you'll want to turn off the fan to save electricity.

Knowing Which Way to Turn

Your ceiling fan won't be any good to you if you don't have it properly set. In order to generate the wind chill effect, your fan has to turn counterclockwise so the blades push air downward. Some fans have an option to reverse the airflow so it creates an updraft. However, this draws cool air upwards, mixes it with warmer air near the ceiling and then pushes the mixed air downwards, making your home feel warmer instead of cooler.

Most fans feature a direction switch on or near the motor housing. You'll want to set this switch so that your fan operates in a counterclockwise direction. Using the correct setting will help you maximize your comfort and energy savings from your ceiling fan. 

To learn more, contact a company like Arlington Heating & Air Conditioning