Now that fall has arrived, we’re dipping into the 70’s during the day and as low as the 50’s at night. On cooler days or evenings, save energy by turning your air conditioning unit up or off and using fans. Fans can make you feel up to 8 degrees cooler when you use them the right way.
How do fans work?
When you blow on hot food, your breath isn’t really cool enough to cool the food. Instead, the air from your breath blows heat away from the food, making it cooler. In the same way, fans blow away the warm air that your body has generated so that you feel cooler.
Window Fans
If it’s cooler outside than inside, you’ll want to pull the hot air out of the house. Since nighttime temperatures in Sterling can dip below 70, it doesn’t make sense to have an inside temperature of 77. Turn your fan so it faces out of the window so it can suck hot air out of the room. Once the hot air is out, you can turn the fan toward you or just turn it off.
Ceiling Fans
If your fan is turning clockwise, it’s blowing warm air up at the ceiling and then back down towards the living area. So make sure your ceiling fan is turning counter-clockwise so it’s blowing down, sending air past your body, and removing the hot air that surrounds it. Almost all fans have an up/down or left/right switch on the side of the fan and it’s usually unlabeled. Check to see if the fan is off (not spinning) before you flip the switch or you can damage the motor.
Whole House Fans
A whole-house fan draws in fresh air from open windows into the attic, where it’s then pushed out through attic vents. This brings a cool breeze in throughout your house while getting the hot air out of your attic. If your house has a whole-house fan, make sure to take advantage of it so you can save big on energy bills!
We’re looking forward to cool fall weather in Sterling and the Washington D.C. area. If you need any services from Snell Heating and Air Conditioning, give us a call! From air conditioner repair, furnace installation, air conditioning replacement, to furnace repair, our team offers the most reliable HVAC services in Virginia.