This summer, most of the United States experienced temperatures soaring above 90 degrees Fahrenheit, and even into the triple digits in a few places. This leaves many people wondering how they can cool and cool their homes without raising their electricity bills too much. A VERIFY reader sent us a message asking if they should keep their fans on even when they're away. Ceiling fans don't actually lower a room's temperature, explains the University of Florida's IFAS, a scientific resource that includes family research and consumer science. Instead of reducing the air temperature in the room, ceiling fans work by blowing air around, making people feel cooler and more comfortable, Home Depot explains.
Your body cools down by sweating, says Energy Vanguard, a company that trains and advises businesses on building efficiency. Evaporation grows faster as air blows over your skin, according to the North Carolina Advanced Energy Corporation, a nonprofit energy agency. Moving air also pulls heat away from your body in a process called convection, Energy Vanguard explains. So, the fan helps to cool the body by evaporation and convection at the same time. All our sources say that the fan is only beneficial when you are indoors and the air of the moving fan can pass over your body. Other living things, such as pets, can also be quiet while the fan is running. If you turn on a ceiling fan properly, you can raise your thermostat about 4 degrees Fahrenheit and be as comfortable as before, according to the US Department of Energy (DOE). In extremely hot areas, you may want to avoid using your air conditioner altogether, according to the DOE. But the DOE adds that you should "make sure you turn off ceiling fans when you leave the house." Not only does a running ceiling fan not cool your room when no one is in the room, but it can also increase the temperature of the room if you turn it on. it's a long time. The reason for this is that roof fans run in cars, and the motors release heat when they run, Energy Vanguard said. When you are in the room and running your fan, you need to make sure that it rotates clockwise if you want it to be cool. A ceiling light that goes over the clock can make the room feel warmer.
