As heat waves become a regular feature of American summers, it’s essential to find ways to cool every corner of your home while keeping energy bills low. One effective strategy is to use fans alongside your air conditioner. Running a fan alongside your air conditioner lets you set the thermostat 3-4 degrees higher without feeling the difference, since moving air feels cooler on skin.
Choosing the Right Fan
A one-fan household is usually an inefficiently cooled household. For optimal performance, match the fan to the room. Quiet, oscillating tower fans are built for bedrooms and living rooms, where quiet, whole-room circulation matters. Compact tabletop fans can deftly handle personal cooling at spaces like desks, kitchen counters, and nightstands. High-velocity air movers are the answer for garages, home gyms, and any room that traps heat.
Work with the sun, not against it. During the hottest part of the day, keep blinds closed and point a fan outward near a window to push hot air out. In the evening, flip the strategy: draw cooler night air in and set up a cross-breeze between two open windows. Cool air settles near the floor, so placing a fan low and angling it upward circulates the coolest air in the room instead of just stirring the warm layer at head height.
Nighttime heat can cause tossing and turning, so set yourself up to sleep by aiming a quiet fan on a low setting across the bed (not directly at your face), for steady airflow and white noise. Don’t forget to clean your fan regularly, as dust buildup on blades and grilles cuts airflow noticeably.
Original reporting: KTBS 3 (Shreveport) — read the source article.
