How much electricity does a ceiling fan use? Most homeowners have a ceiling fan in at least one room in their home. These fans attach to the ceiling and then the owner can turn the fan on to different speeds, allowing the blades to spin and to move air around in a room, which is a great way to make the room feel cooler and to reduce how stuffy it can feel. Additionally, some ceiling fans have lights on them, which make them ideal for helping to brighten up your room without having to devote floor space to a fan. While ceiling fans are great in most any home, there is always the question of how much electricity they use and how much they cost to run.
Understanding How Ceiling Fans Work
If you want to know how much electricity your ceiling fan is using, then you will first need to understand how these fans work. They are wired through the ceiling and connected, by wire, to a switch on the wall or to a remote box so that you can use a switch or a remote to operate the fan. When the fan is turned on, electrical current will reach the motor and, through the creation of a magnetic field, cause the motor coils to spin. This spinning is what moves the fan blades.
As the fan blades slice through the air, they push air downward, which is what causes the breeze that you feel when your ceiling fan is turned on. This process, known as the “wind chill factor,” circulates air throughout the entire room as other air will move to the ceiling to replace air that has been displaced from there by the ceiling fan. The reason why ceiling fans are so effective is because hot air rises and will naturally move to the ceiling, where it is then forced away throughout the room. As hot air is moved from the ceiling, there is space for more air, and it is this constant circulation of air that allows the ceiling fan to cause a breeze and cool the room.
During cooler months you can save up to 10% off of your heating costs by making a small change to the way that your ceiling fan is operating. By changing the direction of your blades from counterclockwise to clockwise, you can draw cooler air up towards the ceiling and force warmer air that is there down into the room. This means that you will be enjoying the warmer air in your room and you don’t have to have your heat as high to remain comfortable. This trick works well in any room, but is especially useful if you have very high ceilings where the heat tends to collect, as the ceiling fan can force it back down to you to ensure that you are enjoying all of the warmer air in your home.
Choosing a Ceiling Fan
A lot more goes into choosing what ceiling fan is right for your home than simply picking one that you think is aesthetically pleasing or will match the décor in your room. You first need to decide whether your fan will be installed inside or outside, as there are different fans that are specifically designed for outside use. The size of your room will also impact what fan you buy and will play a huge role in how much electricity your fan is using when it is on.
If you have very high ceilings, then you will want to consider looking for a fan that has a longer downrod, which will allow it to hang lower in the room. This means that the fan will be able to circulate air more evenly and easily in your space and won’t have to work as hard. When you run your fan on high all of the time because you are having problems circulating air, then you will spend more on electricity than if you were able to keep the fan on low.
The main function of your ceiling fan is also important. Not only do you want to be able to make your room more comfortable, but you also have to decide if you want to enjoy more lighting or are interested in improving the aesthetics of your room with an attractive fan. While the number of blades on the fan is only aesthetic, the direction and rotation of your fan will play a huge role in how efficiently the air can be circulated in your home.
How Much Electricity Does A Ceiling Fan Use?
If you can understand the wattage of your ceiling fan and determine how much energy you use, then you’ll be on the right track to figuring out how much electricity a ceiling fan will use.
Understanding Ceiling Fan Wattage
If you want to understand exactly how much electricity your new ceiling fan is going to use, then you need to begin by paying attention to the wattage on the fan. Most fans have the information printed on the packaging when you buy them, but if you no longer have the information, then you can easily contact the manufacturer to find out how many watts the fan will use.
Once you know how many watts your fan uses, then you can easily divide that number by 1,000 and then multiply it by your energy provider’s kilowatt-hour (kWh) rate. This rate is printed on your utility bill. Make sure that you include all costs that are listed on your bill so that you can correctly determine how much you are paying to run your ceiling fan.
Ceiling fans that have lower wattage are more energy efficient than ones that have higher wattage, which means that they will use less electricity and will cost less to run. This is something to keep in mind if you are buying new ceiling fans and want to make sure that you don’t end up with a ceiling fan that will cost you a lot to run.
Determining Your Energy Use
Ceiling fans generally need between 60 and 75 watts each hour, even when you have the ceiling fan turned on high, which is a far cry from the 3,500 watts that most central air conditioners need. However, some ceiling fans only use around 18 watts, while larger and more powerful ceiling fans will require 120 watts each out.
The average fan costs between $1.90 and $18.86 each year to run. You have to take into consideration the rate that you pay for electricity, which is why it can be difficult to come up with a blanket statement about how much it costs to run a ceiling fan. There are many calculators that you can use that will show you exactly how much it costs to run your fan based on the watts of the fan, how many hours a day you will use it, and what rate you pay for your electricity. Without all of this information, it’s impossible to determine your final cost of running a ceiling fan.
One thing that is important to take into consideration when you are figuring out how much electricity your ceiling fan uses is that the longer you have your fan on, the more electricity it will use and, therefore, the higher your bill will be each month. While this may seem very obvious to some people, it can be easy to leave your ceiling fan running when you leave the home, and this can slowly add up over time, causing your electricity bills to go up.
How to Save Money with a Ceiling Fan
If you want to use as little electricity as possible and make sure that you are saving money whenever your ceiling fan is on, then you will need to take advantage of the reverse switch as seasons change to ensure that you have the best airflow in your home. It’s also a good idea to only use the ceiling fan when you are in the room, as allowing it to run in an empty room doesn’t provide you any benefit and will only end up costing you money.
Finally, make sure that you do not install a larger ceiling fan than is necessary. While you may be tempted to opt for a very large fan because you think that it will help to cool down your space more efficiently, the larger the fan is, the more watts it will require to run, and the higher your monthly bill will be. The best thing to do is to choose the fan that is the right size for your room, but is not so large that you are going to end up paying more than necessary to have it running.
Ceiling fans can actually make your room feel six to eight degrees cooler than it actually is, which can help to shave 47% off of your cooling bill. To ensure that you have the right ceiling fan for the job and that you enjoy all of the savings possible, you need to consider the size of the fan and how much electricity that it uses. This will ensure that you choose the right one for your needs and that you don’t end up with a fan that is too large or too small for your space. A fan that is too large will require too much electricity, and one that is too small will not be able to provide you with the comfort that you want in your home.