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, up from 47 percent in 1973.
Although cars do not have them, most homes and many office buildings also have ceiling fans. So what works best and what saves you more money: AC or fans?
When & How to Use Your AC
Your AC accounts for nearly 50 percent of your energy consumption. Although investing in HVAC maintenance is the top way to save on cooling costs, here are some operational tips to help you cut costs even further:
- Turn the thermostat down a few degrees when you are sleeping at night.
- Turn the thermostat up a few degrees when you are 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 rather than the whole home.
When & How to Use Your Ceiling Fans
If you want to maximize your savings on your home’s cooling costs, you should use your AC and ceiling fans together strategically. Here is when and how you should use your home’s ceiling fans with your AC system:
- Turn the fan on during the summer while the AC is operating to make a room feel up to 5 degrees cooler.
- Turn the fan off when there are no room occupants to benefit from the cooler feeling.
- Ensure it turns in a counterclockwise direction during summer to disperse cooler air.
- Ensure it turns in a clockwise direction during winter to draw cool air up and push warm air down.
- Use the fan 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 emergency AC repair or maintenance in northeast Florida, contact Ed's Comfort Solutions at (904) 849-2656.