When cooler weather arrives, homeowners need to be ready for it. Though many homeowners know the basic tips of sealing their windows and checking their home’s insulation to improve furnace and whole-house efficiency, there are other tricks to keeping your home comfortable and lowering energy costs. Did you know that by utilizing your ceiling fans in conjunction with your furnace, you can enjoy a cozier winter at a lower cost?
How can ceiling fans help my furnace during the winter?
It may seem completely absurd, but your ceiling fans are a great ally for your furnace during the cold winter months. Because you’re likely used to using them to circulate cool air throughout your home during the summer, the thought of leaving your fans on when the temperature drops may give you the chills.
Upon closer inspection, however, you will discover that most ceiling fans are equipped with a switch on the motor housing that will cause the blades to spin clockwise — the opposite direction from which they normally rotate for cooling in the summer. In this way, air is actually drawn upward, instead of downward as the fan blades move. Because of this action, warm air that has risen to the ceiling will be displaced and moved back down into your living areas.
What are the benefits of using ceiling fans to enhance heating?
By keeping your fans on while your furnace is running, you will create a more even distribution of warm air, thereby improving your overall home comfort. In fact, some homeowners whose homes have multiple floors swear by installing a ceiling fan at the top of their stairwells. Once its in motion, the ceiling fan pushes warmer air that rises to the second floor back down to the ground level.
You can also expect your ceiling fans to save you money. Because the heated air in your home will be distributed more evenly, your furnace won’t be required to cycle on and off as frequently.
For more expert home comfort advice about using ceiling fans, or to schedule preventive maintenance, contact the professionals at T.F O’Brien Cooling & Heating. We proudly serve Long Island residents.
Our goal is to help educate our customers about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). For more information about other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Resource guide.
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