You Should Turn on Your Ceiling Fan Every Time You Use Your AC | Reviews by Wirecutter
Even if you have an ancient, inefficient ceiling fan, the energy savings can still be meaningful. According to Schiavon, “an old fan uses maybe 100 watts” of power, which is much more efficient than a modern AC unit. A fan may seem like no match for the sweltering dog days of summer, but using one alongside your AC is likely cheaper and comfier than running AC alone.Ceiling fans have no real effect on a room’s ambient temperature — they can’t change the number on a thermometer — but for anyone located beneath one, they can have a significant effect on how cool you feel.While that effect can’t be objectively measured, the Department of Energy estimates that turning on a ceiling fan should allow you to raise your thermostat and adjust your AC by 4 degrees or so, depending on factors such as how much clothing you’re wearing, without sacrificing your comfort.Although any type of fan can create evaporative cooling, a ceiling fan usually has a wider diameter than a standing fan or a window fan, which allows it to move more air and potentially cool people within a greater area.
