Become a Fan of Fans

Running indoor fans on hot summer days can help your family stay cool and keep your energy bills manageable.

A few tips:
Running a fan is cheaper than running the air conditioner. If the weather presents you with a comfortable, breezy day, turn the air conditioner off and run floor fans instead.

If you have ceiling fans, run them while the AC is on. Fans don’t cool a room; they cool people by moving air around to create a breeze that feels cool on the skin. On warm days, the fan will push air downward if you set the blades to spin counterclockwise. You might even be able to turn the thermostat up a few degrees while the ceiling fans are running—likely 3–4 degrees higher without noticing a difference in your comfort.

If your fans are mounted in windows, don’t use them on days when the outdoor air is hotter than the indoor air. Window fans—and your window-mounted air conditioner’s fan setting—pull hot outdoor air into the house.

Exhaust fans like the one over your kitchen stove or in the bathroom also help increase the comfort of your home when used correctly. Turn on ventilation fans when cooking steamy food or after showers to remove humidity, which makes the home feel warmer and the air conditioner work harder. Just remember to turn the exhaust fan off after it’s removed the humid air and before it begins dispelling your conditioned air.

Remember that your air conditioner has a fan too. Air runs into your cooling system and through an air filter that needs to be changed or cleaned periodically. A clogged filter forces your system to work harder and use more energy. It also can send the dust and allergens it collects right back into your indoor air.