HVAC system efficiency is affected by many more factors than just the furnace, heat pump, or A/C. How well your home is sealed, the level of humidity in the air, and insulation in walls and attic spaces, and on ducts and pipes can all play a role. One factor you likely haven’t considered is ceiling fan direction.
True home comfort depends not just on the actual indoor air temperature, but also how comfortable occupants feel. That’s why HVAC zoning systems make so much sense. There’s no point having comfortable air temperatures in unoccupied rooms. In a similar vein, if all the warm air gathers near the ceiling in the winter and all the cool air pools at the floor in summer, you’re not making the most efficient use of the HVAC system.
A ceiling fan moves the air within a room in order to correct these issues. In the fan’s “forward” or counter-clockwise direction, it pushed air downward so the cool air at the floor is displaced upward. (It also cools you directly through the wind chill effect.) In winter, setting the fan clockwise or “backward” means the air is drawn upward, displacing warm air downward.
Because you’re feeling more of the cooled or heated air, you don’t have to require more from the HVAC system. With a fan running in the proper direction, you can actually turn the thermostat back and save money while still feeling comfortable.
To learn more about ceiling fan direction and other ways to improve your home comfort and efficiency, contact Amarillo Air Conditioning, Inc. We’ve been helping customers meet their energy goals for over 50 years; let us help you too!
Our goal is to help educate our customers in Amarillo, Texas about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). For more information about ceiling fan direction and other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Resource guide.
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