Nearly every home, office building, and car in Jacksonville, FL, has an air conditioning system. In fact, according to the United States Department of Energy, about 87 percent of homes have AC. In 1973, only 47 percent of them had one.
Although cars don’t typically have them, most homes and many office buildings also have ceiling fans. So what works best and what saves more money: AC or fans?
When & How to Use Your AC
Your AC accounts for almost 50 percent of your energy consumption. Although investing in HVAC maintenance is the number-one way to save on cooling costs, here are some operational tips to help you reduce them a bit more:
- Turn the thermostat down a few degrees when you’re sleeping at night.
- Turn the thermostat up a few degrees when you’re away during the day.
- Change the AC filter monthly for improved efficiency.
- Avoid operating your AC when you can open your windows instead.
- Use a portable window unit if you want to cool a single room and not the whole home.
When & How to Use Your Ceiling Fans
If you want to maximize your savings on your home’s cooling costs, you must use your AC and ceiling fans together strategically. Here’s when and how you should use your home’s ceiling fans with your AC system:
- Turn ceiling fans on during the summer when the AC is operating to make a room feel about 5 degrees cooler.
- Turn them off when there aren’t any room occupants to benefit from the cooler feeling.
- Ensure the fan turns in a counterclockwise direction during the summer to disperse cooler air.
- Ensure the fan turns in a clockwise direction during the winter to draw cool air up and push warm air down.
- Use fans instead of your AC on warm winter days in northeast Florida.
For more information about how to save money this summer, or if you need an emergency AC repair or maintenance in northeast Florida, contact Ed's Comfort Solutions at (904) 849-2656.