Proper ceiling fan care helps keep you stay comfortable indoors during summer weather. It can also save you money. Those big, slowly spinning blades typically move more than 4,000 cubic feet per minute of air. This makes the ceiling fan an important cooling supplement to central air conditioning.
Ceiling fans don’t actually reduce the temperature in a room, per se. Instead, moving air passing over your skin enhances the perception of cooling, making the room feel cooler—just like a breeze on a winter day makes it seem colder than it actually is. This convenient fact provided by ceiling fans enables you to increase the A/C thermostat setting a few degrees without noticeable decrease in comfort. According to the Department of Energy, each degree higher on the thermostat setting saves you about 3% in cooling costs.
To make sure you derive maximum benefit from this simple technology, here are some suggestions for ceiling fan care:
Dust the blades.
A coating of dust on ceiling fan blades reduces the fan’s air-moving efficiency and impacts comfort. Using a long-handled duster—or by carefully climbing up on a step-stool—dust the blades regularly to restore optimum function. Also, wipe away any dust accumulation on the ceiling fan motor, especially around motor air vents.
Check for loose blades.
Feel the blades for any sign of looseness. Most blades are secured to the fan’s metal attachment arms by two screws. Tightening with a screwdriver may secure loose blades.
Watch for wobbling.
When the fan is running, does the motor appear to wobble? This may result from a fan motor that’s not securely attached to the ceiling mounting fixture. You may need an HVAC service tech to resolve this problem.
Verify rotational direction.
For summer cooling, ceiling fan rotation should be counter-clockwise, blowing a gentle breeze straight down into the room. If the fan’s turning in the wrong direction, the directional switch on the side of the motor will reverse rotation.
The professionals at Hartman Brothers are ready with more advice and a helping hand to make sure you get the benefits of proper ceiling fan care.