Getting Ready for Summer? Don’t Forget Your Ceiling Fan!

 In Keeping Cool, Summer Topics

Summer is just around the corner, which means things are heating up in Tallahassee. It’s almost time for pool parties and barbecues – not to mention mosquitoes. As you’re making your preparations for the warmer months, don’t forget one important home adjustment – the setting on your ceiling fans! Believe it or not, the spin direction on your ceiling fan should change from season to season.

Wait – what?

To understand why your ceiling fan needs to spin in a certain direction, we first need to learn a little more about how fans actually work.

You may have heard us say that fans cool people, not rooms. That’s because ceiling fans function by circulating the air that’s already in the room.

The fan doesn’t change the room’s temperature. It changes the way the air in the room feels. The air will either feel warmer or cooler depending on the direction the fan is spinning.

Switch it up.

Ceiling fans are multidirectional – they can either spin clockwise, or counterclockwise. Most have a small switch on the side that allows you to control the spin direction.

When a fan spins counterclockwise, the re-circulated air is pushed downward, creating what’s known as a downdraft. As the air circulates, it comes into contact with your skin. It then causes moisture there to evaporate, making you feel cooler.

Having your fan set to spin counterclockwise is the ideal setting for the warmer months in Tallahassee, or any time you want to cool down.

When a ceiling fan is set to turn clockwise, the air is pushed upward toward the ceiling. This is called an updraft, and allows you to feel the warm air that’s trapped around the ceiling (remember – heat rises). This is a useful feature in the winter when you want a little extra warmth, but you’ll want to switch it back in the summer.

Fans are great, but…

Ceiling fans are a helpful, cost-effective way to get an instant boost of cool air, but they aren’t enough to cool your home on their own. You can run a powerful ceiling fan for hours and hours, but, without air conditioning, the temperature in your home won’t get any cooler. You might actually be wasting electricity if you’re running fans when nobody is in the room.

A well-functioning HVAC system, on the other hand, can cool the temperature of your entire home. It doesn’t just make the air colder; it also removes humidity before pumping the air back into your home.

Think of ceiling fans as a supplemental tool. They are helpful and convenient, but are not enough to keep your family cool during the warm summer months.

Keepin’ it cool.

Summer will be here before you know it. Is your home ready? Check that your ceiling fans are set to spin counterclockwise, and don’t forget to schedule an appointment with Barineau Heating & Air Conditioning to ensure your HVAC unit is in tip-top shape.

We offer a one-time tune up for as low as $89 so you can be confident that your home will be cool and comfortable all summer long. Click here or call 850.580.4029 today to make your appointment!

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