How do ceiling fans work?
People generally think fans can expel warm air, but this is not true, as they cannot do it. During the summer months, people leave their fans running throughout the day in hopes of cooling the room. However, to their disappointment, the temperature inside the room is slightly lower than what is outside. The reason is that it does not cool the air in the room; it just moves it around. So their only job is to create a breeze of air. However, when it is used alongside an AC, it can help improve its efficiency and also make the room cooler.
However, keeping the ceiling fan on 24/7, especially when nobody is in the home, is a waste of energy and money. Since it cannot heat or cool the air in the room, running the fan for an extended period of time is not applicable. Continuous working will heat up the motor and increase the temperature of the room even more.
The primary purpose of a fan is to enhance the efficiency of an air conditioner. It helps circulate the air in the AC and allows you to enjoy a lower temperature while also saving a lot of money. Next, they offer versatile usage as they can be installed anywhere in the house, such as a kitchen, bedroom, or even washroom. Ceiling fans are not only functional, but they also add to the look of the room.
Can a ceiling fan run for 24 hours?
Yes; the fan can run 24/7 depending some situations here. Generally, little energy is consumed by ceiling fans, and they are manufactured in such a way that they can be used indoors.
It is delicate and accurate to keep your ceiling fan on for a whole day, but have you ever thought that doing this can truly be beneficial for you? Ceiling fans are trendy for lowering the body temperature because they enable the air to move across your skin. However, for you to experience this, you need to sit under the fan or in the general area that it covers. Moreover, the cooling effect is more potent because the ceiling fan is coupled with the cooling air of an air conditioner in the room.
Similarly, it is also useless to keep the fan operational when nobody is in the room. However, with different climatic conditions, the situations are different. For example, if you live in areas that receive a lot of rainfall, especially during the summers, when it gets extremely humid and wet in the room, the continuous working of the ceiling fan can be useful in regulating the hot air in the room and decreasing the stale air.
Fan type and efficiency
Ceiling fans are famous among homeowners because they are energy efficient. Even if they are operated for a long time, there is no substantial increase in the power bill. As compared to air conditioners, there are even cheaper options on the market that can save you money on electricity bills. Because of the use of DC motors, they are becoming trendy because they offer efficient air circulation and also help you save money on electricity bills. If you compare the annual energy consumption of a DC fan and an air conditioner for 8 hours a day, we come up with the following statistics:
If an air conditioner of 3500 watts costs 0.95 dollars per hour, its annual cost is 1996.5 dollars. On the other hand, a DC fan of 30 watts can cost 0.09 per day, for an annual cost of 32.85 dollars.
Consider the size and proper installation
For the ceiling fan to work optimally and save on electricity bills, you need to buy a fan that fits the space; it should be a manageable size for the room. If the room is large and you install a small fan, it will not be able to function correctly. It will be costly for because you will be forced to run the fan at a higher speed to circulate air and create a a breeze.
A ceiling fan should be installed at a distance of 2.1 to 2.7 meters from floor to ceiling. Although ceiling fan installation is an easy process, it is still recommended that you hire a professional for this purpose. When dealing with electrical stuff, there are a lot of complicated twists and turns that a professional would know better. Therefore, for the proper installation of your fan and to avoid your warranty being void, it's better to ask a professional.
Smart choices
With the the new innovations and breakthrough in IT, appliance industry has also embraced smart tweaks to improve the devices. Over the years, we have seen that manufacturers have continuously evolved ceiling fans with new editions and features such as smart characteristics. Smart ceiling fans come with automatic timers, and new models of ceiling fans have built-in smart technology, which makes them very convenient.
Smart connectivity is helpful for controlling the fan by connecting it to your Android. This feature has made controlling the fan speed and running duration easier. It also lets you automate its behavior according to your needs. For example, intelligent ceiling fans have the feature of a timer setting, which enables you to set a time for your fan to turn off or on automatically. This is a very energy-efficient option for people to set a timer according to their schedule instead of keeping the fan on throughout the day.
Regular upkeep
When the fans are working for more extended periods, it is very natural that debris from the environment gets stuck to the blades of the fan and its interior parts. If the dirt gets stuck to the blades, it will cause a hindrance to the movement of the blade, and as a result, the air will not circulate properly. Similarly, the motor housing can also accumulate dirt that can affect its function.
Therefore, it is crucial to tidy the fans every month. The process of cleaning is very simple. All you have to do is turn off the power and clean the blades by using damp clothes. Remember that you don't want to damage the motor by spraying water on the fan. The motor casing can be cleaned by using microfiber cloth.
Is it costly to run a ceiling fan 24/7?
Running a fan for an extended period of time is more cost-effective than installing and running an air conditioner unit. Here are some steps you can take to know if it is expensive to run the ceiling fan 24/7.
The first thing you need to know is the amount of energy that is consumed by the ceiling fan per hour. To do that, you need to know the voltage of the fan, which is written on the instruction manual for the fan. Divide the watts of the device by 1000, you will know the kW/hr of power by the device.
The next thing you need to know is how much you are spending on your energy bills. This figure is written on your energy bill. On average, 12 ¢ is paid for 1 kW of power.
Now use these two figures to measure how much it costs you to run a fan for an hour. This formula can use help you measure the expenditure.
Cost = power x time divided by 1000 multiplied by the price of 1 kilowatt-hour
If you have the following figures, let's calculate the cost of running a fan for 24 hours a day.
Fan power: 50 watts
Time the fan is operational = 24 hrs
Cost per kilowatt hour = 10 cents
Cost =50x24/1000x10
Cost = 12 cents per day
Cost per week = 12x7 = 84 cents
You can use the same formula to calculate the power consumption and how much it costs if you run the air conditioner 24 hours a day for a week. Since the units are larger and have more complex mechanisms than the fan, the cost will be higher.
Other options
So how can you efficiently save on the running cost of a ceiling fan while still enjoying the breeze in the room during the summer? There are a lot of options that can be used to minimize the heat in the room without paying costly energy bills.
The first thing you need to do is be vigilant and turn off the fans when you are not using the room or leaving the house.
Another thing that you can do is make sure that the ceiling fans are operating in a clockwise direction; otherwise, they will circulate warm air, adding to the heat in the room.
You can also work on lowering the temperature of the room by covering the windows and turning off the unnecessary lights that can produce heat in the room.
You can open the windows of the room, especially the ones that open in the backyard, for fresh and cool air.
Windows are a major inlet for sunlight to enter the room, so you can insulate the windows to prevent that from happening.
🌬️You should also turn off unnecessary devices and appliances in the room that can add to the heat in the room.
If you have standing fan, you can place a bowl of ice behind it. When the fan draws the air in, it will also propel the coolness of the ice cubes into the room.
Alternative fans
We know the power consumption for different appliances is different. This is the same for ceiling fans. Here are some of the options for you to choose a cheaper fan with a different degree of functionality.
- If you are using bladed fans, they use a lot of energy and cost you a lot.
- As compared to bladed fans, bladeless fans are efficient because they have fewer moving parts. They operate by moving the air over small blades inside the fan, which increases the pressure and decreases the temperature of the airflow.
- Another option is to use tower fans that are tall. They are better than blooded fans, but very costly. The reason is that they run slowly, so you need to run them at higher speeds to produce air circulation in the room.