“Wait a minute,” you might be thinking. “A ceiling fan? In the winter? Wouldn’t that just make the room colder?”
It’s an understandable question – most people associate ceiling fans with cooling down during the summer months. But when used correctly, a ceiling fan can actually help keep you warmer and even reduce your home heating costs. Here’s how it works.
Warm Air Rises
Warm air naturally rises toward the ceiling, while cooler air settles near the floor. That means much of the heat your furnace or boiler produces can end up trapped above your head instead of where you need it most – around you and your family. A ceiling fan can fix that problem with the simple flip of a switch.
Most ceiling fans have a small switch located on the motor housing that changes the direction of the fan blades. During the winter, you’ll want to set the fan to spin clockwise at a low speed. This creates a gentle updraft that pulls cooler air up and forces the warm air near the ceiling back down into the living space. Ah, you can almost feel that added comfort now.
Lower Your Thermostat
By circulating warmer air more efficiently, you get to lower the setting on your thermostat, and that’s how you go about cutting your heating bills down to size. Over the course of the entire winter? You can expect to save a full 10% off your regular bills assuming all else remains the same.
Where Should Ceiling Fans Go?
To get the greatest benefit from using ceiling fans during the winter months, install them in rooms your family uses the most…like your kitchen, living room, or home entertainment room. If you live in a two-story home, placing a fan at the top of the staircase can help redistribute from the upstairs spaces back down to the lower level. Just be sure your ceilings are high enough to allow for safe clearance and good air movement.
Regular Preventive Maintenance
The real key to indoor comfort, all winter long, is to keep your heating system in top working order, and there are two ways to go about that. First, contact Anthony’s, for preventive maintenance, preferably in the early to fall. That way, you’ll get maximum benefit from your system now that it’s in the best possible shape.
DIY Home Care
The other way to provide for your family’s comfort and keep your heating costs in check is with regular DIY care, starting with checking and cleaning or replacing your furnace filter every two months or so. Doing that, plus keeping clothes, furniture, and other objects away from vents and registers will help your system heat your home with maximum efficiency.
So, if it’s been a year or longer since your heating system last received our professional brand of preventive maintenance, contact us today. Because at Anthony’s, we put some of the joy back into winter…where it belongs.
