Fans cool people, not spaces
Make the most of your fans with these tips
Fans have been around for centuries. While they are extremely effective in keeping your body cool, they don’t actually help cool rooms or spaces. Here’s why.
When the air that comes out of the fan reaches your body, it quickly creates a cooling effect. This effect intensifies as the air moves over your skin when you’re hot and perspiring. If you leave a fan on while no one is in the room, it will distribute the air within that space but it won’t lower the temperature. This applies whether you’re using a ceiling, window, or floor fan.
Use fans as a main source of cooling or in addition to your air conditioner when you’re within reach of the blowing air. According to energy.gov, you can turn up your thermostat 4 degrees while you’re in a room with a ceiling fan and not feel a difference in comfort.
As temperatures continue to rise this summer, remember these tips when using fans:
- Turn off fans when you leave a room.
- If you’re buying a new ceiling fan, consider an ENERGY STAR® model. These are up to 20% more efficient at moving air than the average fan.
- For maximum cooling, choose an appropriately sized fan for the room. For instance, use smaller fans for small spaces and large or multiple fans for big spaces.
- With window fans, close the windows located near the fan and open windows in areas away from the fan.