Install a Ceiling Fan

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Quick Facts Affordability Cost Savings CO2 Reduction		Ceiling fans are an energy-efficient way to cool your home in warm months and circulate warm air during the cold months. They are relatively inexpensive, generally quiet, and come in a variety of materials and styles to suit your décor. Affordability Ceiling fans can be simple or ornate and some include light fixtures. They range in price from about $30 to $500. The wiring can be more complex than in a traditional light fixture, so you may want to have it installed by a professional electrician. Cost savings A ceiling fan is a cost-effective purchase as it can work efficiently year-round, affecting the indoor temperature by up to 10%. Health & comfort Ceiling fans with reversible settings can be used winter and summer to regulate your home’s temperature, generating a cooling breeze in warm months and circulating warm air through the living space during the cold season. Environmental considerations If you can get by with using only passive techniques, like covering windows and planting shade trees, they will be even more efficient than a fan. If not, try combining fan use with passive cooling techniques to reduce the amount of time you need the fan. In hotter regions, using a ceiling fan to eliminate or decrease your need for air conditioner will provide energy savings. Use the appropriate size fan for the space and purchase a model made from natural, reuseable materials like wood or metal.

What you need to know

• Remember to turn up your thermostat when using your ceiling fan – additional energy and dollar savings could be realized with this simple step!
• Ceiling fans cool people, not rooms. If the room is unoccupied, turn off the ceiling fan to save energy.
• Choose an ENERGY STAR®-certified fan with variable speed control and a motor rated between 80 and 120 watts.
• Most new fans have reversible blades or two-way motors.
• In the summer, use the ceiling fan in the counter-clockwise direction. While standing directly under the ceiling fan, you should feel a cool breeze. The airflow produced creates a wind-chill effect, making you “feel” cooler. In the winter, reverse the motor and operate the ceiling fan at low speed in the clockwise direction to produce a gentle updraft, which forces warm air near the ceiling down into the occupied space.
• When purchasing a ceiling fan, look beyond the price. A less expensive model may warp over time, have overly thin blades that vibrate and rattle or have an undersized or noisy motor.
• The size of a ceiling fan is defined by the diameter of the blades, which generally ranges from 60 to 135 cm.
• The size of fan you need depends on the size of the room:

• Ceiling fans are most effective when hung from ceilings higher than 2.5 metres and when mounted at least 30 cm from the ceiling surface.
• Choose a fan with blades set at a 15-degree angle for optimum air circulation.
• Ceiling fans can be heavy (some weigh more than 18 kilograms). Ensure you have adequate support from the ceiling joists.
• ENERGY STAR-certified fans are the 20% more efficient than other standard models. Look for the ENERGY STAR logo at your retailer.

FAQ

I have an air conditioner for summer cooling, but I have heard that using a ceiling fan is a lot less expensive. Is this true?
Yes. A ceiling fan can use one-tenth the energy of an air conditioner. If you are in a hot area, you can turn up the thermostat (reduce the cooling) on your air conditioner and use a ceiling fan to make up the difference. This will save energy while maintaining the same temperature.

How do I know if the blade rotation is set for winter or summer?
For cooling effects in the summer, the blades should rotate counter-clockwise. If you stand beneath the fan, you should feel the air blowing down on you.