Electric ceiling fans have been around for over 150 years. They are so common—we all are probably guilty of taking them for granted. When used properly, they can save us a lot of money and help keep us comfortable. When used improperly, they can cost us money by using unnecessary energy and can be dangerous to our families. Here are five things you should know about your ceiling fan:
1. In warmer months, make sure the air is blowing down
The moving air can make you feel up to 5 degrees cooler by evaporating the moisture from your skin, which pulls the heat away from your body. This allows you to turn the thermostat in your home up.
2. In colder months, make sure the air is blowing up
This pushes the warm air that rises to the ceiling down the walls and mixes it with the air at the floor level. This warms the room up and gets rid of cold spots.
3. Turn the fan off when you aren’t home
The fan doesn’t actually cool the room, your body cools when the air is moving over it. So it does no good to leave a fan on while you are away. Save money and burn less energy by turning the fans off when you are out of the room.
4. Keep your fans clean
Dust accumulates on the top of fan blades and is sucked into the motor, which shortens its life. Fans should be dusted regularly to save the motor and keep your house cleaner.
5. A wobbly fan is a dangerous fan
If a fan is left to wobble for a long period of time, something will give sooner or later. It might be a part on the fan, or the mounting bracket. When it breaks, it can fall and be very dangerous. If your fan wobbles, determine if it is the fan, or the mounting that is the issue, and get it fixed!
Stay Cool!
Mike
